elxiv Procs. of the Asiatic Soc. of Bengal. [N.S., XVI], 
a number of recent families. It is noteworthy that all the 
fern-species, with the exception of Cladophlebis denticulata, are 
different from the previous ones. The Cycadophyta, although 
they originally appeared as long ago as the Barakar age (Lower 
Permian), had throughout the Lower Gondwana Period occu- 
pied only a subordinate position in the flora. Now they 
actually dominate the vegetation. But they are not destined 
long to enjoy this mastery, for a rival group, the Conifers, has 
also appeared on the scene, and will turn the tables against 
them in the end. Finally, it is satisfactory to note that the 
ie tanks of the Species Incertae Sedis have suffered heavy 
losses. 
The sharp contrast between the floras of the Lower an 
Upper Gondwana which was pointed out long ago by W.T. 
Bianford (1885, p. 42) is visible at a glance in Table II. which 
shows the vertical range of the more important genera. The 
wanas while the remainder ar practically confined to the 
Upper Gondwanas. The Cordaitales, Equisetales and the Glos- 
sopterids, along with a large number of fronds of uncertain 
affinities, are concentrated in the Lower Gondwanas. The 
Upper Gondwanas have practically monopolized the Cycado- 
phyta and Conifers, as well as the True Ferns 
northern hemisphere. 
The most important groups of the Rajmahal flora are the 
Rajmahal; Kota; Cycadophyta and the True Ferns. In the 
Jabalpur. succeeding floras, Kota and Jabalpur, both 
these groups suffer a decline and gradually give place to the 
Conifers, which in the Jabalpur stage occupied much the same 
position as the Cycadophyta did in the Rajmahal stage, or the 
Angiosperms do at the present day. 
In the Rajmahal stage the Cycadophyta are represented 
by a large and varied assemblage of fronds, both simple and 
pinnate, referred to such genera as Nilssonia, Taeniopteris, 
Dictyozamites, Otozamites and Ptilophyllum, as well as by a 
number of flowers called Williamsonia. The stem has been 
