174 
Mines and Mineral Statistics. 
of coal (and wliich wc call EAJiiAHAt formation), vre have established, bj a 
careful research in Catch, to be Upper Oolite. These are characterized by au 
abundance of Cycadca and Treniopteris, but not a single Olossopteris has 
been found. Tlici) wo have the group we (!all the Faxchet System, with no 
Cycads. Seliizonoura (a plant first described from the Vosges), &c., and with 
them Labyrinthodont audFicynodont reptiles. IVo Glosso2>teri3 hero either. 
“ Then below those, with slight unconformity over the coal rocks, in which,, 
observe, we find Glossopieris Broivniana abundant ; and this holds through 
the several thousand feet of thickness, occurring in all. 
‘‘At the base we liavc a Bmall thickness (relatively) of the Talcheee 
S ystem, in which Cyclopteris shows, but no Glossoi^teris. 
“ IJn fortunately we have as yet no animal remains from our coal-rocks.. 
Notwithstanding this, in connection with your evidence from Australia, and 
bearing in mind the perfectly established identity of the G-lossoj^teris, even 
in its varieties, and the equalh/ esinhlifshed fact ihat Glossopteris has never 
leeii found in Utirope^ and tlierefore gives no clue or index to age from 
Kuropean delorinination, I cannot come to any other conclusion t han I have 
done, that our coal iu India rej^resenls the latest portion of the Carlo niferous 
of dvurope, and the. pap letween this ami the Permian ; or, I would say, in a 
broader sense, the latest part of the Palaoxoic time. 
“ I read Daintrcc’s paj)er with mucli interest, and think he has done much 
to clear up some of the diincnlties. 
“But so long as some fancied analogies with regard to fossils are allowed to 
sway the mind, there can he no agreement of opinion.” 
“The Glossnpteris of Austmlia and India are identical. We have every 
Tariety, as described from your beds, and no one could hesitate to admit that 
the beds arc siiriilar also. All these Glos.^oj^tcris bods must bo admitted to bo 
of similar relative age iu both countrie.s. It })roves nothing us to the age 
relating to ICuropean systems. You know belter than I do the amount of 
co-existing evidence as to age which you liaTC established in Australia. 
“ In India it is this, in a few words : — 
(3.) Above — A system of rocks, with abundance of Cycads, Tamiopteris, 
Pecoplerids, &e., &:c., truly Oolitic with their threads of coal. 
(2.) Aea-/, separated by considerable time bods with Sehizoncura, Pcco^)- 
teris («o Ta?]iioptcris, ho Olossojiteris), Labyrinthodont, and Dicyno- 
dont reiitilos, the analogies of which arc Permian or certainly 
Lower Triassic (iw coal). 
(1.) Kext — The coal rocks also separated by unconformity, though 
slight, which liavc abundance of Glossoptcris and also of Schizonciira 
of ilificrent species — as yet no animal remains. 
“ There are thus three distinct flora? with no species common to each 
Y^ou can draw your own conedusions. — T.O.” 
Iu the above rcmarlcs of my diatiiiguisbed friend are ROiueliints 
that Avill not fail to be of use iu relation to N'ew South AVale;^, as 
■well as to other parts of Australia, audit is satisfactory to myself 
to have so much confirmation of iny own views. Though it is 
true that Olossopteris, not being a European plant, does not 
confer any claim on itself to designate the ago of our coal beds, 
yet assuredly as it occurs in the Lower Carboniferous beds as well 
as in the Vppor coal measures, it does bear ou their association 
witli the greatest force, and tlie two series of bods must be nearly 
of the same relative age. That age as pointed out by Er.. 
Oldham, and as I have all along stated, must be Palreozoic. 
