488 Dr. Feistmantel — The Gondwana Series of India. 



the reasons- already given, that the facies of this Nagpur and Burd- 

 wan Flora is rather Mesozoic." 



Dr. Oldham himself, as I said, has also recognized that the genus 

 ScMzoneura would suggest a Triassic age, but considered it not suf- 

 ficient to establish the fact, which I think I can prove satisfactorily. 



Sir C. Bunbury (I.e.) on the same page says further : ''The palseo- 

 botanical evidence is far from unequivocal, and, such as it is, might 

 be outweighed by the discovery of a single well-marked and 

 thoroughly ^ characteristic fish, shell or coral." But none of these 

 have been as yet found. On the contrary, many more plant remains 

 have been discovered, which prove further Sir Ch. Bunbury 's general 

 view of their Mesozoic age, and particularly claim for our Damuda 

 Series a lower Triassic age. 



Not a single Carboniferous plant has been found, nor anything 

 which for a moment justifies the supposition of the Carboniferous 

 age (in the true sense) of this series ; ^ this fact and also the Flora 

 proves that there is no sudden break between the lower and upper 

 group of the Gondwana Series, as from what has been previously 

 written one might be led to suppose. 



The only relation with the Australian Lower Coal-measures is 

 through Glossopteris, Bgfc., for which I will offer an explanation 

 further on ; while I do not know any real FJiyllotheca, Bgt, from 

 this portion, only from the Upper Coal-measures above the Fauna. 



The Damuda Flora abounds in Equisetaceous plants, amongst 

 which the Triassic genus ScMzoneura,^ Schimp. (>S^. Gondivanensis, 

 Fstm.), identical with the same in the Panchet Group, most 

 numerously prevailed, especially, it is true, in the Kanigauj 

 Coal-field, but known also in nearly the same abundance in the 

 Nerbudda valley (Upper Denwa valley). It gives to the whole 

 series a specially Triassic character, together with the others, 

 while Glossopteris is subordinate. The genus PTiyllotheca, Bgt., in 

 its true form (as that from the Italian Oolite), is pretty frequent, 

 but till now known mostly only from the neighbourhood of Nagpur,* 

 and in some specimens from the Raniganj field ; ^ whil"^ the other 

 specimen, which one generally designates Phjllotheca also, belongs 

 mostly either as stalks or stems to Schizoneiira, Schimp. 



The true FJiyllotheca, Bgt., in Australia is known mostly only 

 from the Newcastle Coal-field, above the marine fauna, and from 

 Mesozoic rocks, in Victoria,^ together with Tcsniopteris Daintreei, 



^ This important word is left out in Mr. H. F. Blanford's paper. Quart. Journ. 

 Geol. Soc, 1875, p. 525, while quoting this sentence from Sir C. Bunbury. 



2 There is therefore no reason for it, when Mr. W. T. Blanford, Eec. Geol. Surv. 

 India, vol. ix. No. 3, p. 82, says, that the same Flora, which now should prove Trias, 

 justified the assigning of a Palseozoic age to the Damuda formation (as did Dr. 

 pldham and Mr. H. F. Blanford, I.e.). The Flora was from the first beginning of 

 its discovery the same Triassic Flora as to-day. 



' Known for a long time. 



* See Sir Ch. Bunburj-, Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xvii. Also our collections 

 prove it. 



° Only lately I have discovered it among our specimens. 



6 Eeport of Progress, Geol. Surv. of Victoria, 1874, p. 35. 



