24 MR. NEWELL ARBER ON THE CLARKE COLLECTION [ Feb. 1902, 
Wianamatta, Newcastle, and Arowa Beds. The various views, 
which have been held on this question, are shown in the following 
table :— 
| 
thor ‘ McCoy | Dana Clarke §§Tenison-Woods Wilkin- | Feistmantel 
(47). (49). (78). (83). son,’ 1887. (90). 
| | | 
ie | 
Wianamatta| Oolitic. | ...... Supra-Car- | Jurassic. | Peas Trias. 
Series. boniferous 
(? Mesozoic). 
| Newcastle | Oolitic. |Permian. Upper Coal- | Trias (?) | Permian. | Permian. 
| Series. | | Measures. 
| Arowa. Nie) rast ecra Mil eee | Lower Coal- | Permian (?)  Carboni- | Lower Car- 
| | Measures.  ferous. boniferous. 
With regard to the Wianamatta Beds, such evidence as the few 
plants in the Clarke Collection afford supports Feistmantel’s con- 
clusion as to the Triassic age of these beds. Thinnfeldia odonto- 
pteroides, a characteristic plant of this horizon in both Australia 
and India, occurs in South America in beds of undoubted Rhetic age.? 
The identification of Ratte’s Salisburia palmata with the Triassic 
Baiera multifida of America, and a comparison with the Rheetic 
Batera Steinmanni of Chile, is a new point in favour of this 
conclusion. 
The Glossopteris-flora is well developed not only in the Newcastle 
Beds, but also in the Muree Series. It is generally customary to speak 
of these as Permo-Carboniferous. The question arises whether 
the Newcastle Beds can be regarded as equivalent to the European 
Permian in age. In Australia there is no record of any admixture 
of typical Southern and Northern types,’ such as Gilossopteris and 
Stgillaria or Lepidodendron, as ts known to occur in South Africa * 
and in South America.” The similarity between the fossil flora of the 
Lower Gondwanas of India and that of the Newcastle Series of 
Australia is well known, and an additional point of contact has been 
shown herein the occurrence of Sphenopteris polymorpha in Australia. 
In South America, Dr. Kurtz® has shown that at Bajo de Velis 
(Argentine Republic) typical Lower Gondwana types (Meuropterrdium 
validum, Feist., Noeygerathiopsis Hislopi, Bunb., and Gangamopteris 
cyclopteroides, Feist.) occur in beds which he regards as of Permian 
age; a conclusion which Prof. Zeiller confirms. The two last-named 
fossils are represented by closely allied types in the Newcastle Beds. 
Further, the flora of the Russian beds, classed by Schmalhausen* 
as Jurassic, but now regarded as Permian, has much in common 
1 See T. W. E. David, Quart. Journ. Geol. Soe. vol. xliii (1887) p. 190. 
2 See Rec. Geol. Surv. Ind. vol. xxviii (1895) p. 116 & vol. xxix (1896) 
p- 56. 
3 Clarke (61) p. 360. 4 Seward (97). 
® Ree. Geol. Surv. Ind. vol. xxix (1896) p. 57. 
6 See Zeiller (96)? pp. 467-68. 7 Schmalhausen (79). 
