288 PEOCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [April 24, 



marine beds are seen to rest directly on a coal-seam was at Pelican 

 Creek, a tributary of the Bowen river, a view of which is here given 

 (Fig. 10). At the base of this cliff a seam of coal abont four feet 

 thick crops out the entire length of the section. Directly upon this 

 rests a coarse-grained sandstone, with a few imperfect casts of shells, 

 while at the top of the cliff an arenaceous limestone band holds 

 abundant specimens of the Streptoi^hynclius crenistria, so common 

 throughout all the lower marine series. 



No plant-remains could be detected in the section ; but (as will be 

 observed in the view) the dip is very shght down the creek; 

 and in the next cliff, on the downward course of the stream, we have 

 a section of the measures of nearly the same dimensions, with shale 

 and sandstone interstratified, in which very perfect impressions of 

 Olossopteris were found. 



In fact, throughout Australia, as far as observation has yetextended, 

 Glossojjteris is confined to the older coal-measures, of which the 

 Producti and Sinriferce above described are the marine representa- 

 tives. In Tasmania, New South Wales, and Queensland, at least, 

 this holds good ; and where Glossopteris occurs, the associated marine 

 fauna is always of Palceozoic type. 



In the Tseniopteris coal-measures of Victoria, Richmond River, Neu) 

 South Wales, and the Southern coal-Jield of Queensland no Glosso- 

 pteris has yet been found, and the Productus- and Spirifera-\)Q^^ are 

 also absent. It would seem therefore that, apart from the presence 

 of a distinguishing fauna, Taniopteris may be taken as evidence of 

 the Mesozoic, and Glossopteris of the Palaeozoic coal-formations of 

 Australia. 



Devonian. — Prom the southern boundary of Queensland up to 

 latitude 18° south, a series of slates, sandstones, coral-limestones, 

 and conglomerates extend to a distance of 200 miles inland ; these 

 arc sometimes overlain by coal-measures, sometimes by volcanic 

 rocks, and consequently do not crop out on the surface over such 

 districts. Their average dip and general character are shown in 

 Pig. 11. 



Isolated granitic and metamorphic areas also occur in the same 

 belt of country ; these either were islands in the ocean whose accu- 

 mulated sediments they represent, or have been laid bare by subse- 

 quent denudation or intrusion. 



North of latitude 18° south, however, over the Cape York Penin- 

 sula, this series (so far as we have any evidence) is absent, granites 

 and porphyries capped by " Desert Sandstone " forming the ranges 

 on the eastern, and their abraded ingredients, the sandy tea-tree 

 fiats, those on the western side of that inhospitable tract of country. 



Lithologically this very extensive development of Palaeozoic rocks 

 agrees with the " Devonian " system of England ; and the palaeon to- 

 logical evidence is confirmatory of the same idea. In the higher 

 members of this group, which, from their general analogy to the 

 English group of that name, we will term Devonian, specimens of 

 fossil plants are abundantly met with. 



W. Carruthers, Esq., F.E.S., has described and named those from 



