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science, have been added to the list of the Mesozoic plants of this 

 island. The cycadeous and coniferous plants especially are very 

 important, and are fully discussed under the section where they are 

 specifically classed and described. The coniferous genus Baiera is of more 

 than ordinary interest, as I was fortunate in obtaining both the male 

 and female fructification attached to the pedicels of the plants, which 

 are very numerous in these shales, and share with Thinufeldia oden- 

 topteroides, Morris ; Alethopteris Australis, Morris ; Neuropteris Tasma- 

 niensis, Johnston ; Pterophyllum Strahani, Johnston ; and Sagenopteris 

 salisburioides, Johnston, in being the most abundant and typical of 

 the numerous forms of plants occurring in great perfection in the shaly 

 beds at the place indicated. The following is a more complete list of 

 the species observed by me at this place, all of which were obtained with- 

 in the space of a few yards in width and one or two feet in depth. It 

 will be seen that the new discovery forms a very important addition 

 to the already known plants of the period." Mr. Johnston was of 

 opinion that Australian geologists should refuse to adopt the Euro- 

 pean classification so far as sub-divisions of systems are concerned. 

 He gave several striking reasons for his contention, one of which was 

 from Tasmanian rocks of the Miocene age, where a vegetation con- 

 sisting of oaks, elms, beeches, alders, laurels, etc., prevails, showing a 

 closer resemblance to the existing vegetation of Europe than is exhibited 

 by the existing vegetation of Tasmania. Proceeding, he urged "With 

 these facts and considerations before us, I cannot but express my strong 

 conviction that it would be unwise to accept the triple subdivision of 

 Tricissic Jurassic and Cretaceous for the Mesozoic rocks of Australia and 

 Tasmania, as such triple subdivision does not in the remotest degree 

 harmonise with -the local facts of either stratigraphy or palaeontology. 

 In Tasmania there is no break showing alternation of sea and land 

 throughout the whole series of formation belonging to the Mesozoic period, 

 and typical specific forms persist throughout all the separate groups 

 which from their extent indicate a vast period of time. The great same- 

 ness of forms of vegetable life presents a great difficulty in breaking up 

 our scattered formations of this age into geological subdivisions, and I at 

 least am as yet far from prepared to indicate any satisfactory lines where- 

 by the whole series could even be separated into superior and inferior 

 groups. In time, when the distribution of certain forms can be more ex- 

 actly determined, such a simple method of grouping, having a local 

 significance, may be adopted with advantage ; but in the meantime I am 

 convinced that it is only on the broad lines of systems that we can 

 suggest parallels with European and other distant regions." A com- 

 plete description of 15 new species, with illustrations, accompanied this 

 excellent paper ; also a table showing, approximately, the known 

 distribution in time of genera of plants occurring in the Upper 

 Palaeozoic and Mesozoic rocks of Australasia. 



Mr. E. Swan said the fact that Mr. Johnston had discovered 

 fifteen new species spoke a great deal for his power of research, because 

 the excavations for wells and houses on the other side of the road at 

 Swan's Hill exhibited a similar formation, specimens from which had 

 been submitted to different savants here. 



Mr. Johnston said that was quite excusable, as those who dealt 

 with the matter before were simply collecting specimens, and he did 

 not know of any local person who had hitherto worked closely at the 

 plants and their classification. They had mostly been satisfied with 

 making a collection for the Museum, and many of the specimens had 

 been collected by unscientific persons, who were naturally attracted by 

 the more beautiful impressions. A very beautiful slab of impressions 

 submitted to him contained only one species, and that was not new. 

 It was only by careful work, frequently among the most insignificant 



