﻿Vol. 
  53. 
  J 
  SIGILLARIA, 
  GLOSSOPTER1S, 
  ETC., 
  IN 
  SOUTH 
  AFRICA. 
  

  

  313 
  

  

  Two 
  miles 
  east 
  of 
  Vereeniging, 
  and 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  junction 
  of 
  

   the 
  Klip 
  and 
  Vaal 
  Rivers, 
  a 
  sandstone-quarry 
  was 
  opened 
  for 
  the 
  

   purpose 
  of 
  supplying 
  material 
  for 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  a 
  bridge 
  over 
  

   the 
  Vaal 
  River, 
  and 
  the 
  workmen 
  unearthed 
  a 
  great 
  number 
  of 
  fossil 
  

   plant-remains, 
  among 
  which 
  were 
  several 
  varieties 
  of 
  Glossopteris 
  

   and 
  fragments 
  of 
  a 
  stem 
  of 
  Sigillaria. 
  

  

  These 
  were 
  contained 
  in 
  a 
  layer 
  of 
  horizontal 
  sandstone 
  about 
  

   8 
  feet 
  below 
  the 
  exposed 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  bed, 
  and 
  about 
  6 
  feet 
  from 
  

   the 
  floor 
  of 
  the 
  quarry. 
  This 
  layer 
  is 
  laminated 
  and 
  somewhat 
  

   wavy 
  in 
  structure, 
  whereas 
  the 
  beds 
  above 
  and 
  below 
  it 
  are 
  massive 
  

   and 
  horizontally 
  bedded 
  ; 
  the 
  material 
  of 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  composed, 
  

   however, 
  is 
  similar, 
  fine-grained 
  sandstone 
  of 
  a 
  yellowish-white 
  

   colour, 
  stained 
  red 
  in 
  the 
  planes 
  of 
  bedding. 
  

  

  The 
  accompanying 
  section 
  (fig. 
  3) 
  illustrates 
  the 
  principal 
  

   geological 
  conditions 
  at 
  this 
  spot, 
  and 
  shows 
  the 
  sandstones 
  resting 
  

   unconformably 
  upon 
  the 
  older 
  tilted 
  rocks 
  which 
  crop 
  out 
  to 
  the 
  

   north, 
  and 
  are 
  probably 
  of 
  Carboniferous 
  age, 
  the 
  boulder-bed 
  

   representing 
  perhaps 
  an 
  ancient 
  beach-line. 
  

  

  .Fig. 
  3. 
  — 
  Section 
  through 
  quarry 
  2 
  miles 
  E. 
  of 
  Vereeniging. 
  

  

  * 
  = 
  Layer 
  in 
  which 
  Sigillaria 
  was 
  found. 
  

  

  This 
  boulder-bed 
  apparently 
  continues 
  for 
  a 
  great 
  distance 
  along 
  

   the 
  line 
  of 
  outcrop 
  of 
  the 
  northern 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  Molteno 
  Beds 
  as 
  well 
  

   as 
  extending 
  underneath 
  them. 
  A 
  borehole 
  put 
  down 
  some 
  miles 
  

   to 
  the 
  southward, 
  under 
  the 
  superintendence 
  of 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  R. 
  Sawyer, 
  

   F.Gr.S., 
  intersected 
  both 
  the 
  coal-seam 
  and 
  the 
  boulder-bed. 
  

  

  The 
  quarry 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  fossils 
  were 
  found 
  is 
  but 
  a 
  few 
  hundred 
  

   yards 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  outcrop 
  of 
  this 
  boulder-bed, 
  and 
  there 
  does 
  not 
  

   appear 
  to 
  be 
  any 
  coal 
  at 
  this 
  spot. 
  In 
  the 
  dark 
  shales 
  which 
  

   underlie 
  sandstones 
  of 
  similar 
  appearance 
  and 
  structure, 
  and 
  which 
  

   were 
  intersected 
  in 
  sinking 
  the 
  Vereeniging 
  coal-shaft, 
  several 
  of 
  the 
  

   specimens 
  which 
  accompany 
  this 
  paper 
  were 
  found 
  by 
  the 
  writer, 
  

   and 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  doubt 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  from 
  the 
  same 
  geological 
  horizon 
  

   as 
  those 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  quarry. 
  The 
  connexion 
  between 
  the 
  sand- 
  

   stone 
  at 
  the 
  coal-shaft 
  and 
  that 
  at 
  the 
  quarry 
  is 
  distinctly 
  traceable 
  

   on 
  the 
  surface. 
  

  

  No. 
  4. 
  Zwart 
  Koppies. 
  

  

  At 
  this 
  locality, 
  which 
  is 
  about 
  4 
  miles 
  west 
  of 
  the 
  Heilbron 
  

   Road 
  railway-station 
  and 
  about 
  15 
  miles 
  south-west 
  of 
  Vereeniging, 
  

   a 
  few 
  fragments 
  of 
  a 
  Lepidodendron 
  were 
  found 
  some 
  years 
  ago 
  in 
  a 
  

   well 
  sunk 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  water. 
  

  

  