1S76.] Knowledge of the Fossil Flora in India. 331 



is, as everybody knows, a true Taeniopteris, Bgt., the veins being all 

 quite free and parallel, and nowhere exhibiting any anastomosis. 



What induced Mr. Unger* to range this fossil with Pecopteris, I 

 cannot understand, and I am the more astonished that Dr. Oldhamf should 

 have adopted his determination. But this Glossopteris danaeoides, Boyle, 

 is identical with what later McClelland J described as Taeniopteris danaeoides, 

 also from the Burdwan coalfield. On Plate XV. fig. 1, la of McClelland's 

 report two specimens are figured, which are however certainly incorrectly 

 represented (as regards the distance of the veins apart), but which are 

 without doubt typical Taeniopteris, Bgt. Mr. Oldham did not mention 

 these figures of McClelland. 



The rest of the figures in McClelland's report are of no use, as they are 

 so badly drawn as to give no idea of the original specimens, Sphenophyllum 

 trizygia, TJng. (Splienoph. speciosii/m, McClell.) and Vertebraria alone being 

 approximately correct ; of Glossopteris acaulis (PL XIV. fig. 3) I have 

 the original specimens, which in outline resemble McClelland's figures, 

 but the venation is totally different. 



The most exhaustive paper on the geology of the Raniganj coalfield is 

 by Mr. W. T. Blanf ord. § The author establishes in his report the following 

 subdivisions of this coalfield : — 



I. Upper Panchet group. 

 II. Panchet group. 

 III. Damuda group. 



a. Baniganj Series. 



b. Iron Shales. 



c. Lower Damudas. 

 IV. Talchir group. 



Mr. Blanford has given (op. cit. p. 31) a comparative table of these 

 groups with their fossils ; but from this it can be seen that the separation 

 from a palaeontological point of view is not quite so strict, especially if we 

 consider that in the lower Damudas || occur the same Trizygia, viz., 

 Splienoph, trizygia, and Sphenopteris as in the Baniganj group •% and 

 should it hereafter be proved that Schizoneura, Schimp. also occurs in the 

 lower beds, then it would be completely evident that these subgroups 

 are not far apart in age. And as I will show further on, I also think the 

 Talchir group is to be considered as belonging to the lower Damudas and 



* 1. c, p. 170. 



t Mem. Geol. Surv. Ind., Vol. II. p. 329. 



X Rep. Geol. Surv. of India, 1848—49. 



§ Mem. Geol. Surv. Ind. 1865, Vol. III. 



U From Talchir in Orissa. 



11 Of course besides Pliyllotheca, Vertebraria, and all the species of Glossopteris. 



