293 
He states {op. cit., p. 181) — “The most important phenomenon within 
these various deposits is the conglomerates or houlder beds, about the origin 
of wliich there is now the general opinion that they have been deposited 
through the action of ice in one form or other, the manner of deposition 
being such as to force upon one this kind of explanation ; and besides this, 
there have been found polished and ice-scratched pebbles within these beds. 
This circumstance would, of course, indicate a rather general change of 
climatic conditions over Australia, portions of Africa, India, etc., towards 
the close of the Carboniferous epoch.” 
l)r. Waagen ^ states that it is possible that the great revolution which 
took place in the fauna of the sea at the end of the PalEeozoic Period was 
brought about, directly or indirectly, by the great depression of temperature 
which made itself felt over the whole earth, “ with the exception of South 
America,” towards the end of Palmozoic time. The houlder beds discovered 
by Professor Derby, in Southern Brazil, show now that probably even South 
America did not escape glacial action in Permo-Carboniferous time. 
Without attempting to discuss the large question as to whether or 
not this evidence of ice-action was world-wide in Permo-Carboniferous or 
Permian time, it may be stated that the occurrence of numerous and large 
erratics in the Upper and Lower Marine Beds (Middle Bowen) of the New 
South Wales Permo-Carboniferous System justify the assumption that floating 
ice was present over a large area of Australia during the deposition of the 
Marine Permo-Carboniferous Beds of New South Wales. It must at the 
same time be conceded that hitherto, in my opinion, no undoubted glacially- 
marked pebbles have been found in the Marine Permo-Carboniferous Strata 
of New South Wales. In Victoria, however, in rocks presumably homotaxial, 
if not synchronous, strongly-glaciated pebbles are extremely numerous. 
It is desirable, therefore, on climatological, as well as on strati- 
graphical and palaeontological grounds, to separate the Carboniferous System 
proper of New South Wales with Lepklodenclron, from the Permo-Carboni- 
ferous System with Glossopteris and Gmigamopteris. A list is therefore 
appended of those localities in New South Wales referred to in this work by 
De Koninck, which are now considered to be Carboniferous, as distinct from 
Permo-Carboniferous. 
T. W. EDGEWOBTII DAVID. 
* Die Cai’bone Eiszeit, Jahrb. K. K, Geol, Reichanstalt, 1887, XXXVII, Heft, 2, p. 192. 
