324 PKOCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCrETT. [April 24, 



supported by palseontological research; and there cannot now be 

 any doubt that the Broken-Eiver Limestone beds, containing 

 Favosites &c. &c., are the lowest fossiliferous deposits in the 

 Queensland area, and their age is undoubtedly Lower Devonian 

 or " Siluro-Devonian." These are succeeded by the Gympie 

 group, a higher series, with the Star-Eiver and Mount-Wyatt 

 beds succeeding, rich in Lepidodendra and Spiriferce. These 

 Devonian rocks yield generally Lepidodendron, LeptopTilmum, 

 Produetus, Spirifera, &c. &c. — indeed, possess a fauna and flora 

 closely allied to that of Canada, of the same age. The Carboni- 

 ferous rocks of the Don river, which succeed unconformably, are 

 also of the same relative age as the British and European series ; 

 no less than ten species are known to be common to the two 

 countries. The genus GJossopteris is abundantly distributed through 

 the upper beds of this group at Bowen Eiver, Eoper Creek, and 

 Dawson Eiver; and research has shown that this plant does not 

 range higher in the Australian rocks. Associated with Glossopteris 

 there occurs an extensive fauna of Mollusca, especially Brachiopoda. 

 It is doubtful if true Permian and Trias exist or are repre- 

 sented on the Australian continent. Neither organic remains nor 

 rocks in position afford any true clue to the occurrence of these 

 deposits, which are so widely spread in Europe, Africa, and India. 



The Secondary rocks of Queensland also exhibit the most com- 

 plete unconformity to the Palasozoic below ; the rocks known in situ 

 to thus overlie the Carboniferous are the Lower Oolitic series of 

 Gordon Downs, Wollumbilla, Burrum, and Tivoli. The upper 

 members of the Oolites are freshwater and estuarine beds, and 

 form the southern Coal-field of Queensland, characterized by the 

 abundant presence of Tceniopteris &c. «&c.* and but few Mollusca, 

 indeed a small fauna so far as is yet known. Mr. C. Moore, through 

 specimens obtained at "Wollumbilla (though not in situ) clearly 

 revealed and proved the presence of Lower Lias, Oolite, and 

 Oxford-Clay fossils in that area. At Pelican Creek and Gordon 

 Downs we clearly possess the marine Oolitic rocks in position ; but 

 the fossils are in an extremely bad state of preservation, and but 

 few in species. 



Succeeding these are the Coal-bearing fresh-water beds of Tivoli 

 and Burrum, containing Tceniopteris, which are the highest of the 

 Lower Secondary or Mesozoic series of Queensland. 



The Upper Secondary (Cretaceous) series of Maryborough, Hugh- 

 enden, Marathon, and O'Connel Creek may succeed each other in the 

 order here given ; and, from the fossil evidence, I am disposed to 

 place them in this order of superposition or time, believing that the 

 Maryborough beds are the lowest, the Hughenden, Marathon, and 

 Flinders beds succeeding them. 



Dolerites or augitic Trap rocks, or " the Lower Yolcanic Series," 

 close the Cretaceous period, and are succeeded by the Desert 

 Sandstone, which occupies an immensely extended area over Queens- 

 land. Whether this series is estuarine or freshwater in its 



« Wealden ? 



