24 
c£ Middle Palaeozoic” represents the Devonian. Prom this only a few plant 
fossils are known, viz., Lepidodendron notlium , Ung., in New South Wales 
(similarly in Queensland), also some other plants in Victoria. Besides, by 
this, the existence of Devonian rocks in New South Wales is also proved by 
marine animal fossils, which were described by Prof, de Koninck. ( See p. 25.) 
Of most interest is Mr. Clarke’s section “ Upper Palaeozoic,” in which 
lie comprises the Australian coal beds, both the lower coal beds and below 
marine Palaeozoic beds, as also the Newcastle beds, which, by M‘Coy and 
other palaeontologists, were considered of Oolitic or Jurassic age. His view 
of a similar age of the higher, or Newcastle, and lower coal beds, Mr. 
Clarke based upon the fact that certain genera of plants, which arc numerous 
in the Newcastle beds, occur already in the lower coal beds between marine 
strata with Palaeozoic animals. To prove this, Mr. Clarke communicates the 
sections of two shafts, viz., at Stony Creek and Greta, on the Hunter Paver, 
in the northern part of the field, which were also published in the previous 
editions of his work. They show quite distinctly how, under strata, with 
Conularia, Spirifer, JProductus, &c., there are coal seams and shales with 
Glossopteris, Noggcmthia (now Noggerathiopsis), &c. ; and I myself have 
described several species of plants from these beds at Greta. But at the 
same time it is quite certain that above the Upper Marine beds there is a 
thick scries of strata with rich coal seams and numerous plant fossils, without 
marine animals, but with a heterocercal fish. These are the Newcastle beds, 
which must be considered from this point of view. The latter relations are 
well illustrated in this edition of Mr. Clarke’s by the geological map of a 
portion of the eastern coal-field of Ncav South Wales, where the Wianamatta- 
Hawkesbury, upper coal beds (Newcastle beds), and marine beds are developed 
in regular succession — one above the other. 
The division which Mr. Clarke has given of the Australian coal forma- 
tion also shows quite distinctly this sequence, and clearly the position of the 
upper coal-beds (Newcastle beds) — above the marine strata. This is given 
(p. GO) as follows 
1. Upper Coal Measures (Newcastle beds). 
2. Upper Marine beds. 
8. Lower Coal Measures, with Glossopteris , &c. 
4. Lower Marine beds. 
Below these latter (No. 4) there are, again, plant beds of Lower 
Carboniferous age (Culm.) 
