﻿316 
  MR. 
  A. 
  C. 
  SEWARD 
  ON 
  THE 
  ASSOCIATION 
  OP 
  [Aug. 
  1 
  89 
  7, 
  

  

  In 
  referring 
  to 
  this 
  statement 
  M. 
  de 
  Launay 
  x 
  has 
  suggested 
  that 
  

   possibly 
  the 
  supposed 
  Coal 
  Measure 
  plants 
  mentioned 
  by 
  Gold- 
  

   mann 
  were 
  obtained 
  from 
  the 
  dolomite 
  underlying 
  the 
  coal-beds. 
  

   Mr. 
  Draper's 
  fossils 
  enable 
  us 
  to 
  speak 
  with 
  certainty 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  

   occurrence 
  of 
  Sigillaria 
  associated 
  with 
  typical 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  

   Glossopteris-fliOTa, 
  in 
  the 
  beds 
  overlying 
  the 
  dolomite. 
  This 
  

   discovery 
  was 
  recorded 
  in 
  a 
  note 
  communicated 
  to 
  the 
  British 
  

   Association 
  at 
  last 
  year's 
  meeting. 
  2 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  following 
  descriptive 
  notes 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  plants 
  is 
  dealt 
  

   with 
  as 
  a 
  whole, 
  and 
  the 
  short 
  table 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  summarizes 
  the 
  

   species 
  recognized 
  from 
  each 
  locality. 
  

  

  Genus 
  Glossopteris, 
  Brongniart. 
  

  

  ' 
  Prodr. 
  Hist. 
  Veg. 
  foss.' 
  (1828) 
  p. 
  54 
  ; 
  « 
  Hist. 
  V<§g. 
  loss.' 
  (1828) 
  p. 
  222, 
  

   pis. 
  lxii. 
  & 
  lxiii. 
  

  

  This 
  generic 
  name 
  was 
  founded 
  by 
  Brongniart 
  in 
  1828 
  for 
  

   certain 
  tongue-shaped 
  leaves 
  from 
  Australia 
  and 
  India. 
  Other 
  

   specimens 
  from 
  England 
  and 
  Scania 
  to 
  which 
  he 
  gave 
  the 
  same 
  

   generic 
  name 
  have 
  since 
  been 
  referred 
  to 
  distinct 
  genera. 
  The 
  

   Australian 
  and 
  Indian 
  leaves 
  were 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  species, 
  

   Glossopteris 
  Browniana, 
  and 
  denned 
  as 
  follows 
  3 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  ' 
  G. 
  foliis 
  lanceolatis 
  vel 
  subspathulatis 
  obtusis 
  (1-2 
  pollicibus 
  

   latis) 
  ; 
  nervo 
  medio 
  valido 
  superne 
  canaliculate 
  ; 
  nervulis 
  basi 
  

   obliquis 
  reticulatis, 
  apice 
  tantum 
  simplicibus 
  vel 
  furcatis, 
  marginique 
  

   subperpendicularibus, 
  vix 
  obliquis.' 
  

  

  On 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  smaller 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  Australian 
  specimens 
  and 
  

   their 
  obtuse 
  apices, 
  they 
  were 
  referred 
  to 
  by 
  Brongniart 
  as 
  G. 
  Brown- 
  

   iana 
  var. 
  a 
  australasica, 
  while 
  the 
  larger 
  and 
  more 
  sharply 
  pointed 
  

   Indian 
  forms 
  were 
  designated 
  G. 
  Browniana 
  var. 
  j3 
  indica. 
  Another 
  

   specific 
  name, 
  G. 
  angustifolia, 
  was 
  chosen 
  by 
  Brongniart 
  4 
  for 
  some 
  

   long 
  and 
  narrow 
  Indian 
  leaves 
  with 
  the 
  same 
  venation-characters 
  

   as 
  in 
  the 
  former 
  species. 
  Brongniart's 
  type-specimens 
  are 
  in 
  the 
  

   Paris 
  Natural 
  History 
  Museum, 
  Jardin 
  des 
  Plantes. 
  Zeiller 
  5 
  has 
  

   recently 
  published 
  accurate 
  drawings 
  of 
  the 
  venation 
  in 
  each 
  of 
  

   these 
  types, 
  which 
  should 
  be 
  consulted 
  as 
  more 
  trustworthy 
  than 
  the 
  

   less 
  detailed 
  figures 
  given 
  by 
  Brongniart. 
  

  

  In 
  1869 
  Schimper 
  6 
  raised 
  Brongniart's 
  var. 
  ft 
  indica 
  to 
  the 
  rank 
  

   of 
  a 
  distinct 
  species, 
  Glossopteris 
  indica. 
  After 
  giving 
  a 
  diagnosis 
  

   of 
  G. 
  Browniana, 
  Schimper 
  points 
  out 
  that 
  he 
  has 
  seen 
  Glossopteris- 
  

   leaves 
  on 
  the 
  same 
  slab 
  of 
  rock 
  varying 
  from 
  an 
  oblong 
  spathulate 
  

   to 
  an 
  almost 
  linear 
  form, 
  and 
  he 
  recognizes 
  the 
  considerable 
  diversity 
  

   of 
  shape 
  as 
  a 
  necessary 
  accompaniment 
  of 
  difference 
  in 
  age. 
  The 
  

   very 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  leaves 
  of 
  this 
  genus 
  described 
  by 
  Feistmantel 
  7 
  

  

  1 
  « 
  Les 
  Mines 
  d'Or 
  du 
  Transvaal,' 
  Paris, 
  1896, 
  p. 
  209 
  (footnote). 
  

  

  2 
  A. 
  C. 
  Seward, 
  Brit. 
  Assoc. 
  Rep. 
  (L'pool) 
  1896, 
  p. 
  807. 
  

  

  3 
  ' 
  Hist. 
  Veg. 
  foss.' 
  p. 
  223 
  & 
  pi. 
  lxii. 
  4 
  Ibid. 
  pi. 
  lxiii. 
  fig. 
  1. 
  

  

  5 
  Bull. 
  Soc. 
  geol. 
  Prance, 
  ser. 
  3, 
  vol. 
  xxiv. 
  (1896) 
  pp. 
  363, 
  367, 
  & 
  370. 
  

  

  6 
  ' 
  Traite 
  de 
  Pal. 
  veg.' 
  vol. 
  i. 
  p. 
  645. 
  

  

  7 
  See 
  'Fossil 
  Flora 
  of 
  the 
  Gondwana 
  System,' 
  Mem. 
  Greol. 
  Surv. 
  India 
  

   (Palaeontologia 
  Indica), 
  etc. 
  

  

  