New South Wales. 
57 
(on the Mesozoic or Secondary formations), tlie new discoveries 
will be made plainer and tlie old rectified where they may have 
been defective, and I may repeat, in giving a summary of the 
Indian Coal-fields History as it was about four years ago, I shall, 
I believe, involve no breach of confidence by doing what will save 
the necessity of again searching the Memoirs and ltccords of the 
Survey: — 
“We have seen,” he says, “ no reason whatever to alter our views with 
reference to the age of* our Indian Coal-rocks. The plant evidence is tolerably 
conclusive with us. Our Upper beds, which contain thin patches and threads 
of Coal (and which we call Kajmaiial formation), we have established, by a 
careful research in Cuteh, to be Upper Oolite. These are characterized by an 
abundance of Cycadea and Tamiopteris, but not a single Glossopteris lias 
been found. Then we have the group we call the Pan CHET System, with no 
Cycads. * Schizoneura (a plant first described from tlie Vosges), &-c., and 
with them Labyrinthodont and Dicynodont reptiles. No Glossopteris hero 
either. 
“Then below these, with slight unconformity, occur the Coal-rocks, in which, 
observe, we find Glossopteris Browniana abundant ; and this holds through 
the several thousand feet of thickness, occurring in all. 
“At the base we have a small thickness (relatively) of the Talcileer 
System, in which. Cyeloptcris shows, hut no Glossopteris. 
“Unfortunately 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 Glossopteris, even 
in its varieties, and t lie equal Ip established fact that Glossopteris has never 
been found in Europe, and therefore gives no duo or index to age from 
European determination, I cannot come to any other conclusion than l have 
done, that our Coal in India represents the latest portion of the Carboniferous 
of Europe, and the pap between this and the Permian ; or, I would say, in a 
broader sense, the latest part of the Paheozoic time. 
“ I read Daintrec’s paper with much interest, and think he has done much 
to clear up some of tin* difficulties. 
“Put so long as some fancied analogies with regard to fossils arc allowed to 
sway the mind, there can be no agreement of opinion. 
“ The Glossopteris of Australia and India arc identical. AVo have every 
variety, us described from your beds, and no one coidd hesitate to admit that 
the beds are similar also. All these Glossopteris beds must bo admitted to be 
of similar relative ago in both countries. It. proves nothing ns to the age 
relating to European systems. You know better than I do the amount of 
co-existing evidence as to age which you have established in Australia. 
“ In India it is this, in a few words :— 
(3.) Above — A system of rocks, with abundance of Cycads, Tieniopteris, 
Pecopteris, &c., &.C., truly Oolitic with their threads of Coal. 
(2.) A Text, separated by considerable time beds with Schizoneura, Peeop- 
teris («c> Tcenioptcris, no Glossopteris), Labyrinthodont, and Dicy- 
nodont. reptiles, the analogies of which are Permian or certainly 
Lower TriasSic ( no Coal). 
(1.) Next — Tlie Coal-rocks, also separated by unconformity, though 
slight, which have abundance of Glossopteris and also of Schizoneura 
of different species—as yet no animal remains. 
“ There are thus three distinct Hone with no species common to each. You 
can draw your own conclusions. — T.O.” 
