118 Dr. Feistmantel- — Bohemian Coal Fauna and Passage-Beds. 
from Yienna, and Herr Weiss in Berlin, came to see the Pilsen basin. 
Tkey bad, of course, a very easy task, as they had already a great 
amount of important papers for their guidance. 
As I bave already mentioned, Herr Stur publisbed in 1874 a paper 
in tbe Verbandl. d. k. k. geolog. Reicksanstalt, 1 wbicb, hovvever, 
must be taken witb precaution, as it contains a great many asser- 
tions, mostly witbout proof ; tberefore Herr Stur must naturally 
expect tbat, as be is not infallible, bis views are open to objections. 
Herr Stur took, also, as I did before, tbe Rakonitz Gas-coal as 
Permian, although, as I first proved (l.c.), tbe Flora above is Carbon- 
iferous ; but for tbe Nürschan Gas-coal be bas cbosen anotber opinion, 
and pronounced tbis Nürscban Gas-coal as parallel to one of tbe 
“ lowest Carboniferous borizons ” in Bohemia. Tbis was done witb 
such a degree of certainty (but always without arguments) tbat mv 
conclusions on tbis subject seemed struck down, but fortunately 
only for a sbort time. Herr Stur did well not to deal witb tbe 
occurrence of tbe animal-remains, wbicb would certainly not bave 
fitted in witb bis well-made System in words. 
About tbe same time Herr Weiss, from Berlin, 2 came to see for 
a sbort time tbe Pilsen basin, and at once wrote a Report on 
wbat “ be bad seen ” ; in a letter to Prof. Geinitz, 3 wbicb is 
signed by bim and another gentleman, apparently as witness. In 
tbis the Nürscban Gas-coal, certainly only from a superficial view, 
is also attributed to tbe lowest Carboniferous borizon in Bohemia ; but 
tbe animal-remains were not considered at all, wbich, however, must 
be absolutely done, to gain a correct idea of its relations. Mr. Weiss 
on tbe contrary, in bis note in Zeitscbr. d. D. geol. Gesellschaft, 
1874, p. 368, discussing my paper on tbe relation of the Permian 
and Carboniferous in Bohemia, went so far as to say — when com- 
paring the Nürschan Gas-coal witb tbe Otweiler Series — tbat in tbe 
latter no Xenacanthus has been found, wbicb, liowever, as Herr Weiss 
thinks, is of no importance (l.c. p. 368 below), and yet be was 
tbe first, wbo in his paper “Leitfische des Rothliegenden in den 
Leebacber und aequivalenten Schichten des Saarbrückisch-pfälz- 
iscben Koklengebirges,” 4 mentions Acanthodes, Xenacanthus, Palceo- 
niscus, etc., as the most characteristic genera for the Permian strata. 
A mining engineer, now lecturer in the Mining Academy at 
Leoben, Herr Helmhacher, went still further, and endeavoured to 
prove, 5 from tbe mineralogical relations, tbat this Nürscbam Gas- 
coal is something like tbe Englisb Bog-bead Coal, and tberefore also 
of Lower Carboniferous age : “quod erat demonstrandum,” tbougbt tbe 
gentleman. But tbe imagined victory of tbese outside observers was 
only of sbort duration. 
First I bave to notice tbe repeatedly pronounced opinion of tbe 
1 Momentaner Standmeiner Untersuchungen über die unsseralpine Steinkohlen- 
formation, April, 1874. 
2 He writes notices and reviews under the signature, W. in Berlin. 
3 N. Jahrb. 1874, pp. 963-964. 
4 Zeitschrift d. D. geol. Gesellsch. 1874. 
6 See Verh. d. k. k. geol. Beichstlt. 1876, p 213; N. Jahrb. etc., 1876, p, 104. 
