212 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



that the same species of plants are found in the coal-fields belong- 

 ing to the palseozoic carboniferous rocks of Europe and of North 

 America, and in regions with differences of more than thirty degrees 

 of latitude ; and therefore they may have been able to live through 

 the many vicissitudes of condition of the earth's surface that must 

 have occurred between the Carboniferous and Liassic periods. 



The plants from the Permian system of Russia, collected by Sir R. 

 Murchison and his fellow-travellers, have been described by Mr. 

 Morris, and further illustrated by the remarks of M. Adolphe Bron- 

 gniart. The species are few, not exceeding sixteen in number. Three 

 of these — Neuropteris tenuifolia, Lepidodendron elongatum and Ca- 

 lamites Suckowii — are pronounced by M. Brongniart to be identical 

 with plants of the coal formation. The remainder are peculiar (as 

 far as is hitherto known) to the Permian system. All the genera 

 are common to this and to the carboniferous series ; the genera 

 Odontopteris, Noeggerathia and Lepidodendron had been hitherto 

 supposed peculiar to the coal-measures. Altogether, the Permian 

 flora is evidently much more similar to that of the carboniferous sy- 

 stem than to any other : it has no affinity to that of the Gres bigarre, 

 or of the Jurassic system. 



Mr. Morris has likewise described the fossil plants brought by 

 Count Strzelecki from the coal-fields of New South Wales and Van 

 Diemen's Land. Unfortunately the materials were very scanty, the 

 number of species being only eight ; and it is singular, that of this 

 number four are from the coal-field of New South Wales, and four 

 from that of Van Diemen's Land, no one species having been found 

 common to the two. Both these Australian coal-fields are very re- 

 markably distinguished from those of Europe and North America 

 by the entire absence of StigmaricB, Sigillarice^ Lepidodendra, and 

 Calamites, In this respect they agree with the coal formation of 

 Burdwan in Northern India, to which indeed they have other points 

 of striking similarity in the character of their vegetable remains. 

 The Glossopteris Browniana is actually common to the coal forma- 

 tions of New South Wales and of India, and the Pecopteris australis 

 of the former country comes very near to the Indian P. Lindleyana. 

 The flora of the coal-fields of Australia has likewise a striking simi- 

 larity to that of our Yorkshire oolites. Glossopteris Browniana is 

 nearly allied to Glos, Phillipsii, Pecopteris australis to P. Whit- 

 biensis, and Pecopteris alata to P. Murrayana. It is possible that 

 the coal of Australia and of Northern India may really belong to 

 the Jurassic system. 



In the ' Geology of Russia,' a work I have already so often re- 

 ferred to, there is an immense mass of valuable contributions to pa- 

 laeontology, by different distinguished naturalists. The following 

 are the parts which relate to the Invertebrata : — 



1. A very elaborate and important essay by Mr. Lonsdale on the 

 palaeozoic Corals of Russia, abounding in minute details of structure, 

 deserving the attention of every one engaged in the study of that 

 «lass of organic bodies. 



