Notes on the fossil spores in an oil-shale from Tasmania.

Tasmanite is an oil-shale known to occur in the Permocarboniferous (1) of the North and North-Western districts of Tasmania. The shale is of sedimentary origin and is brownish grey in colour, being largely impregnated with spores which have been named by Newton as Tasmanites punctatus Newt. (2). On distillation the shale yields an artificial petroleum which is claimed to be C:btained from these spores (3). T•hus it is chiefly for its economic importance rather than palreo-botanical that it has been engaging the attention of investigators ·from time to time.