378 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Oolitic age of some bluish-white indurated clays at Dubrajpore in 

 the Rajmahal Hills, nevertheless placing the shales, sandstones, and 

 seams of coal of Burdwan, and of Mussinia and Kottycoon in the 

 Rajmahal Hills, as an intermediate formation, which he styles the 

 " Coal-measure," between the Inferior Oolite mentioned above and 

 what he supposes to be the " Old Red Sandstone." After deducting 

 specimens of Fucoides, which I cannot, with the aid of his figures, 

 distinguish from those of Glossopteris, there are seven genera, to 

 which he refers as '* Indian coal-measure fossils." Of these, four, 

 viz. SpJicenophyllum, Poacites, Calamites, and Pecopteris, he says, 

 are "common to the coal-measures of Europe." In the conclusion 

 which would naturally be drawn from this statement I cannot concur ; 

 and hence it is necessary to review the grounds on which it is made. 

 The three genera not mentioned are Zamites, Tceniopteris, and 

 Glossopteris. Of these, the first two are held to be well nigh cha- 

 racteristic of the Jurassic period, while the remaining genus, though 

 unknown in Europe, must, from the circumstances in which it is 

 shown to occur, now be acknowledged to be equally a Mesozoic plant. 

 And with regard to the four genera specified, I do not suppose that 

 Dr. Royle will assent to the identification of his Trizygia with Sphce- 

 nophyllum ; and, if any specimens of the genus Calamites had been 

 preserved for description, I have little doubt they would have proved 

 to belong to our " non-tuberculated class of opposite sulcated jointed 

 stems," which abound in formations above the true coal-measures. 

 The genera Poacites and Pecopteris I have found in our " Jurassic" 

 strata, and a specimen of the latter here is so like one figured by 

 M'Clelland that it is difficult to resist the conviction that they do 

 belong to the same species. If to the evidence now adduced there 

 be added that afforded by the occurrence of the peculiar plants 

 Vertebraria indica, Trizygia speciosa, &c. at Burdwan and Bhuwan, 

 I think little probability will remain of the Bengal coal-formation 

 being Palaeozoic. 



Dr. Hooker, in commenting on the opinion of Dr. M'Clelland, 

 which he supposed to be in favour of the Oolitic age of the Burdwan 

 coal-field, at the commencement of his first volume endeavours to 

 prove that no inference can be deduced from the plants discovered 

 in those strata. In his second volume, however, he puts forth an 

 opinion of his own, which, though not formally enunciated in 

 regard to the Burdwan series of rocks, may be gathered from his re- 

 marks on the carbonaceous shales near Punkabarree. On these 

 shales there were " obscure impressions of Fern -leaves, of Trizygia 

 and Vertebraria, both fossils characteristic of the Burdwan coal- 

 field, but too imperfect to justify any conclusion as to the relation 

 between these formations*. And then, in a foot-note, it is added, 

 " these traces of fossils " (including a fragment of bone as well as 

 vegetables) " are not sufficient to identify the formation with that of 

 the Siwalik Hills of North-West India ; but its contents, together 

 with its strike, dip, and position relatively to the mountains, and its 

 mineralogical character, incline me to suppose it may be similar." 

 * Himalayan Journals, vol. ii. p. 403. 



