﻿1861.] 



BUNBURY FOSSIL PLANTS, NAGPUR. 



325 



Turbo helicinus. In the equivalent strata of the Zechstein there is 

 a similar falling off in the distribution of species ; and the same forms 

 are the characteristic fossils there, Ax. duhius under its " Schlotheimi" 

 character being the most common. It would thus appear that in 

 the whole of the "West European area there was a most remarkable 

 decrease in the Permian fauna during the period of deposition of the 

 Upper Permian strata, the decrease being greater towards the close 

 than at the beginning of that period, and affecting the same classes, 

 and even the same species in most cases, in the different parts of 

 that area, thus leaving a similar though exceedingly meagre group 

 of species distributed throughout. 



EXPLANATION OP PLATE VII. 



Eigs. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6. Rissoa Leighi, Brown. Five specimens illustrative of its 

 variation of form ; magnified about 14 times. Hampole. 



Fig. 3. Rissoa Leighi, Brown. Young individual ; magnified 16 times. Hampole. 



Figs. 7, 8. Natica minima ? Brown. Outer lip of specimen imperfect ; mag- 

 nified 12 times. Hampole. 



Figs. 9, 10. Turritella Alienburgensis, Geinitz. Magnified 16 times. Hampole. 



Fig. 11. Axinus dubins, Schlotheiin. New variety. Cast ; somewhat enlarged. 

 Moorliouse. 



Fig. 12. Axinus dubius, Schlotheim. New variety. Cast ; somewhat enlarged. 

 Conisborough. 



March 20, 1861. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. Notes on a Collection of Fossil Plants from Nagpur, Central 

 India. By Sir Charles J. F. Bttnbury, Bart., F.R.S., F.Gr.S., &c. 

 [Plates VIII— XII.] 

 Introduction. — It is now some considerable time since the fine 

 collection of fossil vegetable remains from the district of Nagpur in 

 Central India, which had been presented to the Geological Society 

 by the Rev. Messrs. Stephen Hislop and Robert Hunter*, was en- 

 trusted to me for examination and description. Owing to the obscure 

 and equivocal character of many of these remains, the undertaking 

 proved more tedious than I had expected, and there still remain 

 many specimens to which I have not yet been able to give a thorough 

 examination. But, as particular circumstances make it unlikely 

 that I should, for some time to come, have sufficient leisure to 

 devote to this pursuit, I think it best to lay before the Society at 

 once the results of my inquiries as far as they have yet gone, rather 

 than to keep them back for an indefinite time in the hope of com- 

 pleting them. The present paper, therefore, will contain the descrip- 

 tion of all the Ferns in the collection, and of all those remains of 

 Stems and Leaves of other kinds which I have, to the best of my 

 ability, sufficiently examined; these altogether constitute nearly 



* See Quart. Journ. Oeol. Soc, vol. xi. p. 348 and p. 369. 



