86 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



of the palaeontologist. They clearly prove that the Permian system 

 is the uppermost stage of that long Palaeozoic series, which, com- 

 mencing with the lowest Silurian rocks, presents a connected suc- 

 cession of animal and vegetable life, the last traces of which passed 

 away with the termination of the strata under review. Until 

 Russia was explored, the upper member of these ancient rocks 

 had scarcely afforded a trace of terrestrial plants. Neither in the 

 British Isles nor in Germany had there been found more than one 

 or two species of land plants in deposits of this age, not one of 

 which has yet been fully identified or described. Now in reference 

 to the Russian species, such of them as had been previously al- 

 luded to by other writers were placed by some in the carboniferous 

 rocks, by others in the New Red Sandstone.* Our sections, how- 

 ever, have shown that neither of these views is correct ; and as 

 the Russian plants to which we have called attention, occur for 

 the most part in strata distinctly overlying beds containing the 

 fossils of the Zechstein, it is clear that certain red sandstones, 

 marls and conglomerates, above that rock, belong to our Permian 

 group, are wholly distinct from the Trias, and are truly Pa- 

 laeozoic. 



We repeat, therefore, that we have now adduced ample botanical 

 as well as zoological and stratigraphical evidence to vindicate the 

 application of the collective word Permian to a succession of strata 

 which had not been previously united through their geological 

 relations and organic contents. 



These proofs will, we trust, be considered as still more strongly 

 borne out by the grandeur of the phenomena to which we have 

 appealed ; for the Permian deposits of Russia repose upon carbo- 

 niferous strata throughout more than two thirds of a basin which 

 has a circumference of not less than 4000 English miles. 



A detailed tabular list of the animal remains of the Permian 

 system in Europe was also given, mentioning the names of the 

 authors who have described each species, the localities at which 

 it has been found, and its vertical range in the Palaeozoic series. 

 This table will appear " in extenso " in the forthcoming work 

 .upon Russia, and in the meantime the following recapitulation is 

 subjoined; but the authors express their regret that their table 

 was drawn up without the benefit of the long-promised assistance 

 of Professor Agassiz. His observations on a few of the Permian 

 ichthyolites which were submitted to him will increase the number 

 of that class of fossils. 



* See a very recent memoir by M. Yasikoff, " Bull, de Moskou," 1843, part ii. 

 p. 237., in which he refers an interesting portion of the Permian rocks described 

 by us upon the Kama, and between that river and the Sok, either to the New 

 Red Sandstone or the Carboniferous Limestone. 



