14 
of the British Museum (Natural History). The specimens appear to have all been 
collected either' in 1863 by Buchanan, or by McKay in 1879. Mr. Lillie visited the 
locality in 1912, but was unable to obtain any further specimens. 
Previous Records. —-The occurrence of various species in this locality has been 
recorded by Hector, Ettingshausen, and Crie, as set forth in my previous note “ On 
the Earlier Mesozoic Floras of New Zealand ”(1). With one exception these lists consist 
entirely of nomina nuda, which need not detain us here. Full reference to these will 
be found in my previous paper. Hector(2), however, in 1886, figured six specimens 
from this locality (see also page 4), which were— 
Hector’s Names. 
Macrotceniopteris lata 0. & M. .. 
Lomarites pectenata Hect. 
Taxites manawao Hect. 
Pterophyllum matauriensis Hect. 
Sphenopteris asplenoides Hect. .. 
Taxites kahikatea Hect. 
Names here adopted. 
= Tceniopteris crassinervis (Feist.). 
= Microphyllopteris pectinata (Hect.). 
= Pagiophyllum peregrinum (L. & H.). 
— Ibid. 
= • (3). 
— ? 
Previous Opinion with regard to the Age of the Beds. —McKay(4) placed these 
beds in the Mataura Series of Upper Jurassic age. 
Conclusions as to the Age of the Beds. —The fossil flora of Mataura Falls, though 
small, is a very interesting one. The following are the records described here :— 
Fern-like Plants— 
Tceniopteris crassinervis (Feistrn.). 
Dictyophyllum acutilobum (Braun). 
Microphyllopteris pectinata (Hect.). 
Cladophlebis denticulata (Brongn.). 
C. australis (Morr.). 
Cycadophyta— 
Nilssonia elegans sp. nov. 
Pterophyllum matauriensis Hect. 
CONIPERALES—- 
Pagiophyllum peregrinum (L. & H.). 
There can be little doubt, I think, that this flora is thoroughly Jurassic, and 
that it belongs either to the lower or to the middle division of that system. Tcenio- 
pteris crassinervis (Feistrn.) is a very characteristic plant in the Mataura Falls beds. 
In India it occurs in the Middle Jurassic of the Rajmahal Hills. Microphyllopteris 
pectinata is also allied to another species occurring in the same beds in India. Clado¬ 
phlebis denticulata is abundant in the Middle Jurassic of England, but no doubt has 
a somewhat extensive vertical range. The two Cycadophytes appear to be new and 
somewhat isolated species, and do not help as to the horizon. On the other hand, 
in Pagiophyllum peregrinum we have a distinctly early Jurassic type, occurring in the 
Lias of Britain. Dictyophyllum acutilobum is another Rheetic and early Jurassic type. 
On the whole, the occurrence of these fossils leads me to favour a Lower rather than 
a Middle Jurassic horizon. 
I should be inclined to regard the Mataura Falls beds as slightly younger than 
those at Mokoia, Gore, though both very probably belong to the same division of the 
Jurassic. The two floras are very different, and there are therefore few grounds for 
(1) Arber (1913 2 3 ). (4) McKay (1881), p. 42. 
(2) Hector (1886 1 ). 
(3) 1 have not seen any examples of this plant. The specific name, however, cannot stand, for it 
had already been applied to another plant by Sternberg in 1826. 
