32 Sedimentary Formations 
prove how the mutual aids ought to wait on each other, of the 
two principal brandies of Goology, that is to say, Stratigraphy 
and Palaeontology. Their comparative application could only be 
despised by minds prejudiced and disposed, to sacrifice the 
progress of science to the ephemeral maintenance of their exclu¬ 
sive and systematic views,”—the conclusion of the paragraph I 
leave in the original, “Des esprit* sivtroits ne so trouvenf paspamt{i 
lions. 11 [“Bull. Soc. Gtol. lie France 11 2" ser. xvii, p. old.] 
In the course of my work I have had to contend with the 
prejudices of some who have never visited this territory , and who, 
from a distance of many hundred miles, have ventured to 
dogmatise, solely from a paheontological point of view, without 
caring to ascertain how far the stratigraphicul evidence is at 
variance with their conclusions. 
In consequence of this the ascending order of formations 
above the Lower Carboniferous in this Colony has long been 
disputed by some, whose unaequaiutance with facts patent to all 
who have examined them is t be best apology for a more temperate 
stylo of criticism than has been adopted. 
We are, however, indebted to Professor M‘Coy, for ascer¬ 
taining, in 1817, the existence of eighty-three species of animal 
remains incur Carboniferous formation, in a collection forwarded 
by me to the University of Cambridge, in which the Professor 
was then officially employed. 
Before that time, Bowerbank. Sowerby, Morris, and Dana had 
determined the existence of the Carboniferous Marine beds ; and 
the latter author enumerates about eighty species observed 
during bis excursions in New South Wales, in some of which 1 
accompanied him. {See Appendix Jl.) 
More recently Mr. Etheridge has described fifteen species of 
Lower Carboniferous fossils from Queensland* in relation to Mr. 
Daintrec’s paper on the geology of that Colony, of which ten 
were furnished by myself. N one have yet been discovered in 
Victoria. Tn Tasmania, Sir. Gould figured some well-known 
forms from that Colony, blit the plates were never published. 
He has noticed also, wlmt I have contended for, that the 
worked Coal-beds of the Mersey River belong to the same forma¬ 
tion with Paleozoic Marine fossils, as in Queensland and on the 
Hunter River. 
Having visited the Tasmanian locality for the purpose of 
inspection, I can confirm all that lias been stated respecting the 
occurrence of the Palaeozoic fossils, Orthonota, Spirifcra, Pones- 
tella, Pacbydomus, Thcea, &e. t in association with and immedi¬ 
ately above the Coal: and lately I have been officially informed 
that Coal-seams have been found by piercing these beds on the 
Don River, confirming my grounds for recommendation to look 
for them. 
