CHAPTER VII 
The S&o Bento Series, 
The Santa Catharina system ends at top with a three-fold division 
of formations, which are finely exposed along Rio Sdo Bento, a tri- 
butary of Rio Mae Luzia in Santa Catharina, and hence the name, 
Sao Bento Series. 
The following names have heen adopted for the three divisions of 
the series beginning with the top: 
Serra Geral eruplives. 
Sao Bento sandstones. 
Rio do Rasto Red Beds. 
The contact of the lowest member of the series; namely, the 
Rio do Rasto Red Beds, with the underlying Rocinha limestone or 
top of the certainly Carboniferous rocks, has been seen by the writer 
at only one point in Brazil, and that is on rio Rocinha, near Minas, in 
Santa Catharina. 
There a reddish and rather massive sandstone rests unconfor- 
mably upon the limestone in question, but in the limited distance, 
50-75 meters, along which the line of contact is visible, it was not 
possible to determine whether the unconformity is merely local, such 
as must always exist to a greater or less extent at the line of contact 
between formations having such different methods of origin as limes- 
tone and sandstone, or whether it is a case of general unconformity and 
represents a long time breack, the writer is unable to state. 
The fact however that there is such a great change in the character 
of the sediments, together with the appearance ofa type of fossil rep- 
tile, which Dr. A S$. Woodward, of the British Museum, regards as 
closely related to Triassic forms, would argue that although there is no 
apparent unconformity in the dip of the rocks between the two series, 
(Passa Dois and Sado Bento), yet there is most probably a real time 
break and genuine unconformity. 
The age of the eruptive rocks which cover the clastic beds and cap 
out the Santa Catharina system is of course not definetely known, but 
they are so related to the other beds through intercalated dikes, 
