Remarks on the sedimentary formations of New South Wales : illustrated by references to other provinces of Australasia / by W.B. Clarke.

  • Clarke, William Branwhite, 1798-1878.
Date:
1878
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Remarks on the sedimentary formations of New South Wales : illustrated by references to other provinces of Australasia / by W.B. Clarke. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    168/179 (page 163)
    Bacchus Marsh Sandstones.—“ Now, perhaps, the Bacchus Marsh sand- stones have to be placed as above or partly on the horizon of the Newcastle beds. They may, perhaps, also be called the ‘ Gangamopteris beds as so far as I could inform myself, they contain Gangamopteris only (coming in this very close to our Talchfr group, underlying the Coal-beds where Gangamo- pteris preponderates). The species described- from here are :— Gangamopteris angustifolia, M‘Coy „ spathulata „ „ obliqua „ ‘‘ If tliis position is correctly assigned, then the Indian coal flora (with Glossop- teris) is a third re-appearance of the Australian Lower flora, in the Upper Marine beds, as in column marked b in the ‘ Systematic Table.’” HawJcesbury and Wianamatta Beds.—Dr. Feistmantel makes the following observations respecting these “ Although representing, perhaps, strati- graphically two groups, they seem to me, from a palaeontological point of view, to be of the same age, or very nearly so. It is true they contain fishes, some of which (one, Palceoniscus) are heterocercal, but another one seems not heterocercal (Cleitholepis granulatus)—[But Egerton distinctly calls it heteroc.—W.B.C.]—while of the third one the tail is not known. If we now take into consideration that a Palceoniscus is known from the Karoo beds in South Africa, which are more than probably Trias, and if we consider that a Palceoniscus superstes, Eg., is described from Keuper in England, then we must not be astonished that a Palceoniscus should be found in these Hawkes- bury and Wianamatta beds, which I would consider Tipper Triassic (although the plants by themselves would justify to consider these beds as on the horizon of the Rhaetic between Keuper and Lias). These are all I could determine or get information of.” Jurassic or Highest Beds.—Dr. Feistmantel writes :—“ There is one point not quite clear to me, if that Qlossopteris which Professor M‘Cov (“Prodomus”) and Mr. B. Smyth C‘Report of Progress”) mention as occurring in one specimen together with Pecopteris Australis, Morr., from Tasmania, belongs also to this group of strata.” General RemarJcs.—Dr. Feistmantel remarks, with reference to India, “ It always results more and more that our Coal-bearing strata are only 1 plant- bearing ’ ; no Marine fossils are here. Always more evidence is procured for Triassic age of the Coal Measures, and there is no other evidence for the view of their probably Upper Palaeozoic age than the generical affinity of some plants, as Vertebraria, Phyllotheca, and Glossopteris, with the Newcastle beds, and partly in some of your Lower beds. As I have once before mentioned, you may have every reason for an 1 Upper Palaeozoic ’ age of your Newcastle beds, but there is nothing of this sort in our Indian Coal-seams. “ As I mentioned also before, our Indian Coal Measures are underlaid by the so called Talchfr group, and another group of Coal-seams which I dis- covered and proved in two Coal-basins (in Kurhurbali, in Bengal, and Molipani, in the Sutpura Basin), which are characterised by the preponderance of Gango- mopteris, by the absence (orrareness) of Vertebraria, by the rareness of Glossop- teris, which reminds strongly of the Bacchus Marsh sandstones. If it would be proved that the Bacchus Marsh sandstones are on the horizon of your Newcastle beds or the termination of them, then our Coal flora of India would