Br. Feistmmitel — The Gondwana Series of India, 487 



These fossils resemble very closely those Eeptilian remains which 

 Mr. F. Braun figured, 1846,^ from the Upper Trias, near Bayreuth, 

 Bavaria. 



The plant remains establish the Triassic affinity still further, a 

 prevalent species of ScJiizoneura (Schizon. Gondioanensis, Fstm.) 

 being identical with that very abundant in the Damuda Series, and 

 the best representative of the Trias, a Tceniopteris (near to Tcsniont. 

 stenoneura, Schenk), rather common Pecopteris concinna. Presl., and 

 Cyclopteris pachjrhacMs, Gopp., all being species found in Europe 

 in the Upper Trias ; so that I have attributed the Panchet Group to 

 the age of the Keuper. 



There are perhaps similar Eeptilian remains in South. Africa, esta- 

 blishing tbus a connexion of the Panchets with the South African 

 rocks. 



From this it follows : 



1. That the Panchet Group shows the closest connexion with Europe, both by its 

 plants and other fossils — although it is not impossible that similar Eeptilian animals 

 lived a little earlier in South Africa and came from there over to Europe and India. 



2. No connexion with Australia. 



h. Fossils or the Damuda Group. 



In this group plants only have been hitherto found, without any 

 trace of a terrestrial or of a marine Fauna. 



From the occurrence of the genus Glossopteris, Bgt., in these beds, 

 they have been for a time brought into connexion with the Austra- 

 lian Coal-measures, and declared, without any further proof, as 

 probably Palgeozoic,^ although the frequent presence of the Triassic 

 genus Schizoneura, Schimp., has been noticed,^ and also other plants, 

 the only fossils in these beds that have been discovered, which 

 evidently claimed Mesozoic age for our Damudas.* 



This supposition of their Palaeozoic age will not, however, explain 

 the occurrence of the other and very frequent genera of Damuda 

 plants, which do not occur in Australia at all, but have instead repre- 

 sentatives in Europe, nor will it agree with the total absence in the 

 Damudas of the animals which are said to be associated with Glos- 

 sopteris, Bgt., in Australia. 



Sir Charles Bunbury says, page 345, in his "Nagpur Flora" (I.e.), 

 referring to Dr. Oldham's paper (Mem. Geol. Surv. Ind., I.e.) : " Prof. 

 Oldham is of opinion that the Kajmahal beds are Mesozoic and pro- 

 bably Jurassic ; the Damuda beds Palaeozoic. On this latter point 

 I am not entirely prepared to go along with him. I still think, for 



1 Verzeichniss der zu Bayreuth befindlichen Petrefakte, 1840, p. 79, pi. viii. and 

 foil. 



2 Dr. Oldham, Mem. Geol. Surv. Ind. vol. ii. ; H. F. Blanford, Quart. Journ. 

 Geol. Soc. 1875; W. T. Blanford, Rec. Geol. Surv. India, vol, ix, JS'o, 3. 



3 Dr. Oldham, l,c., pp, 327, 330. 



4 In 1871 Dr. Stoliczka brought some specimens from the Kurhurbari Coal-field, 

 among them Saffenojjteris, Gan(/amopteris (or Gyclopteris of that time), and three 

 specimens of Voltzia heteropkylla, Bgt. In 1873 Mr, Hughes brought from the Bani- 

 ganj Coal-field some specimens, among these a Fern of the genus Actinopteris, which 

 I described as A. Bengalmsisy Fstm. 



