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woods from an horizon higher than that last described. Among 
these I find the gymnospermous type later tobe described as Da- 
doxylon meridionale from beds 30-60 meters above the Barro 
Branco coal at Butid, Rio Grande do Sul; the stem of Lycopodiopsis 
Derbyi, from about 155 meters above the Iraty black shale, or about 
285 meters above the Barro Branco coal horizon at Botefe in Sao 
Paulo; Dadoxylon nummuiarium from the red beds 100-200 me- 
ters above the S. Jeronymo coal in the S. Raphael region, Rio Grande 
do Sul; and a very interesting fragment of a tree Lepidophyte, Si- 
gillaria (?) muralis, from near the same horizon, vicinity of S. Sepé, 
in the same state. 
The presence of the large Lepidophytic type of fossil wood at an 
horizon between 100-200 meters above the Barro Branco coal, or say 
75 meters above the Iraty black shale, and the occurrence of Lyco- 
podiopsis Derbyt in the same series argues very strongly for the 
Palaeozoic age of the beds up to a level of many meters above the 
Iraty black shale. 
The Iraty black shale itself which is notable not only for the 
occurrence of the Mesosaurus and Stereosternum bones therein, 
but also for its special properties as an oil-bearing rock, appears, on 
the evidence of the fossil Lepidophytes in the higher beds, to be 
Palaeozoic. 
The stratigraphical position of the fossil woods, including the 
Lycopodiopsis Derbyt and Dadoxylon Pedroi examined hy Re- 
nault and Zeiller and said to be associated with other coniferous 
types of wood, Psaronius, and with Stereosternum in S. Paulo was 
nol stated in connection with the description of the species ; but 
from their association with the vertebrate remains it is to be in- 
ferred almost with certainty that they come from the horizon of the 
Iraly black shale, and the same series of overlying beds that has 
furnished the fossil woods and the specimen of Lycopediopsis Derbyi 
collected by the Coal Commission. There would seem to be little 
room for doubt as to the correctness of this stratigraphical reference of 
the woods collected and sent by Derby to Renault and to Zeiller ; and 
the reference is the more interesting since it involves the occurrence 
of Psaronius at some horizon in the seriesa bove the Barro Branco coal. 
The eollections of fossil plants fram the Brazilian coal fields are 
as yet far too insufficient and too limitel as to stratigraphical and 
geosraphical distribution to form a basis for definite conclusions as 
to the range and sequence of the various types. 
