140 PEOCEEDINGS OP THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [I'eb. 6, 



a sequel to the Monographs on Secondary Possils from South Africa 

 which have appeared in the Society's Transactions and Quarterly 

 Journal. 



This paper contains descriptions of the Plants of the Karoo beds, 

 the Eeptilian and Molluscan life of which has been made known by 

 the labours of Professors Owen and Huxley, and the late Mr. 

 Daniel Sharpe — of the vegetable remains from the phytiferous beds 

 of Geelhoutboom, and of the fossils from the Jurassic strata of the 

 Zwartkop and Sunday's Eiver (the last part being a Supplement to 

 Mr. Daniel Sharpe's "Descriptions of Possils from the Secondary 

 Eocks of South Africa "). The study of the organic remains of the 

 beds enumerated has enabled me to oifer, in addition, some gene- 

 ralizations on the affinities of each of the above-mentioned groups 

 of Secondary strata developed in this region. 



II. Kaeoo Bees. 

 a. Fossil Flora of the Karoo Beds. 



1. Glossopteris BpvOwniana, pi. YI. figs. 5a, 5h, 7a, 7h. 



The Society is in possession of several impressions of a Glosso- 

 pteris, in a friable sandstone, obtained by Dr. "W. G. Atherstone, F.G.S., 

 from Heald Town, near Fort Beaufort, Eastern Province, South 

 Africa, — and many others of the same form, in a dark shale, from 

 Bloemkop *, collected by Mr. C. J. Powell, of Graaf Eeinet, and 

 presented by Dr. E. W. Eubidge, P.G.S. There are also in the 

 Collection some well-preserved specimens from Fatal, that were col- 

 lected and sent to England by Dr. P. C. Sutherland. These all 

 agree, in the main, with Glossopteris Browniana. 



The following words employed by Sir C. Bunburyt, on comparing 

 the Indian Glossopteris with the coi^mon Austrahan G. Browniana, 

 are applicable when the Glossopteris from Natal is compared with 

 the G. Browniana : — " I can find no satisfactory specific distinction ; 

 the venation is essentially the same. We may, indeed, find African 

 specimens in which the meshes of the reticulation near the midrib 

 are larger and broader than in the ordinary Australian plant, and 

 others in which the veins are more strongly recurved ; but in both 

 the Indian and Australian plants I find so many shades of variation 

 in these particulars that I cannot attach much importance to them." 



The apex of the African plant is obtuse, like that of the Aus- 

 tralian plant, and never acute as in the Indian. The frond is more 

 attenuated below in the African fern ; but there seems to be some 

 degree of variation in this particular. It has a more firm and rigid 

 appearance than the Indian and Australian forms. 



2. Glossopteeis Sutheelandi, spec. nov. PI. YI. figs. 2a, 2h. 



This species, dedicated to Dr. P. C. Sutherland, Surveyor- General 

 of Katal, its discoverer, is associated with G. Broumiana in the coal- 



* Quart. Journ. Geol. See. vol. xv. p. 198 ; and yol. xvii. p. 329. 

 t Ibid. vol. xvii. p. 328. 



