﻿Vol. 
  53.] 
  SIGILLARIA, 
  GLOSSOPTERIS, 
  ETC., 
  IN 
  SOUTH 
  AFRICA. 
  311 
  

  

  The 
  coal-bearing 
  rocks 
  of 
  the 
  Transvaal 
  belong 
  to 
  the 
  horizon 
  

   which 
  is 
  known 
  in 
  South 
  African 
  geology 
  by 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  ' 
  Molteno 
  

   Beds,' 
  the 
  lower 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  Stormberg 
  Beds 
  (Dunn), 
  generally 
  

   assumed 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  Triassic 
  age. 
  

  

  The 
  accompanying 
  sections 
  (figs. 
  2 
  & 
  3, 
  pp. 
  312, 
  313) 
  demonstrate 
  

   the 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  Molteno 
  Beds 
  with 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  underlying 
  rocks. 
  

   It 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  that 
  they 
  rest 
  unconformably 
  upon 
  tilted 
  strata, 
  

   beneath 
  which 
  the 
  beds 
  are 
  generally 
  believed 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  Carboni- 
  

   ferous 
  age, 
  though 
  but 
  few 
  fossils 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  in 
  proof 
  of 
  this 
  

   assumption. 
  

  

  In 
  general, 
  and 
  especially 
  at 
  Vereeniging, 
  a 
  boulder-bed, 
  con- 
  

   taining 
  large 
  rounded 
  masses 
  of 
  quartzite, 
  conglomerate, 
  dolomite, 
  

   and 
  other 
  rocks, 
  all 
  of 
  which 
  have 
  evidently 
  been 
  derived 
  from 
  the 
  

   older 
  series 
  exposed 
  to 
  the 
  northward, 
  lies 
  upon 
  the 
  eroded 
  surface 
  

   of 
  the 
  underlying 
  rocks 
  ; 
  this 
  boulder-bed 
  apparently 
  represents 
  an 
  

   ancient 
  beach-line, 
  no 
  traces 
  of 
  which 
  have 
  as 
  yet 
  been 
  found 
  at 
  a 
  

   higher 
  level 
  than 
  the 
  present 
  outcrop 
  of 
  coal-bearing 
  rocks. 
  

  

  Geology 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  Localities 
  where 
  the 
  Fossils 
  

   were 
  discovered. 
  

  

  No. 
  1. 
  BOSCHMANS 
  FONTEIN 
  AND 
  MAGGIES 
  MlNE. 
  

  

  The 
  former 
  of 
  these 
  is 
  situated 
  near 
  the 
  extreme 
  northern 
  limit 
  

   of 
  the 
  Molteno 
  Beds, 
  lying 
  within 
  the 
  boundaries 
  of 
  the 
  Transvaal. 
  

   Immediately 
  to 
  the 
  northward, 
  rocks 
  identical 
  with 
  those 
  occurring 
  

   in 
  the 
  Megaliesberg 
  and 
  Gats 
  Rand 
  (probably 
  Carboniferous) 
  

   occupy 
  a 
  large 
  extent 
  of 
  country. 
  These 
  are 
  generally 
  much 
  

   contorted 
  and 
  dip 
  towards 
  the 
  north. 
  The 
  coal-bearing 
  strata 
  

   (Molteno 
  Beds) 
  lie 
  unconformably 
  upon 
  these 
  older 
  rocks, 
  and 
  

   terminate 
  on 
  the 
  northern 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  farm 
  of 
  Boschmans 
  Fontein. 
  

   A 
  coal-seam 
  has 
  been 
  opened 
  about 
  1 
  mile 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  home- 
  

   stead 
  on 
  this 
  farm. 
  It 
  is 
  about 
  12 
  feet 
  in 
  thickness, 
  though 
  in 
  the 
  

   working, 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  continued 
  about 
  150 
  feet 
  into 
  the 
  coal, 
  the 
  

   upper 
  portion 
  (about 
  6 
  feet) 
  of 
  this 
  large 
  coal-bed 
  has 
  been 
  removed 
  

   by 
  denudation, 
  and 
  its 
  position 
  has 
  been 
  filled 
  up 
  by 
  grey 
  shale 
  and 
  

   coarse 
  gritty 
  sandstone 
  : 
  it 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  former 
  that 
  the 
  fossil 
  plants 
  

   were 
  found 
  by 
  the 
  writer. 
  

  

  Maggies 
  Mine, 
  situated 
  on 
  the 
  farm 
  of 
  Vaal 
  Bank, 
  lies 
  about 
  

   9 
  miles 
  south-east 
  from 
  Boschmans 
  Fontein, 
  and 
  is 
  on 
  the 
  main 
  

   bed 
  of 
  coal. 
  Near 
  the 
  present 
  colliery-shaft 
  a 
  bed 
  of 
  fossils 
  was 
  

   discovered, 
  and 
  the 
  specimens 
  were 
  forwarded 
  to 
  me 
  by 
  Mr. 
  W. 
  H. 
  

   Roach, 
  then 
  manager 
  of 
  the 
  property. 
  

  

  The 
  coal-mine 
  on 
  this 
  farm 
  is 
  situated 
  at 
  a 
  greater 
  distance 
  from 
  

   the 
  northern 
  limit 
  of 
  the 
  Molteno 
  Beds 
  than 
  the 
  open 
  working 
  at 
  

   Boschmans 
  Fontein. 
  (See 
  map, 
  fig. 
  1.) 
  

  

  No. 
  2. 
  Casey's 
  Township 
  

   (2 
  miles 
  south 
  of 
  Johannesburg). 
  

  

  At 
  this 
  spot 
  the 
  fossils 
  were 
  found 
  in 
  sinking 
  a 
  well 
  on 
  the 
  

   property 
  belonging 
  to 
  Mr. 
  Francis 
  (hence 
  called 
  ' 
  Francis 
  ' 
  in 
  

  

  