University of Hannover on erratics of this type ("Kugelsandstein", "Old-Red-Sandstein"). The main questions concern the petrography, cement type and diagenesis. Because much of the erratics in North Germany are rich in apatitic remains (Arthropoda, Heterostraci, Crossopterygii and other fishes) that I have also examined them along the way. Because I have no experience in working with fossil fishes, I made contact with fish workers especially in the Baltic States.
Several groups of fishes can be deduced from scales: acanthodians with a problematic scale fauna and Psammosteiformes. The scale Porolepis posnaniensispoints to a lower Middle Devonian age. A complete unknown for Werner is the scale shown in the photo below. Does anyone has an idea, about the taxonomic position of this scale? Please send relevant reprints.
[NB see also Otto & Laurin 1999 - ed.]

Bartholomäus, W.A. 1999. Petrology of Ball
Sandstone geschiebes (Devonian) and
their apatite remains. In 4th Baltic
Stratigraphical Conference. Problems and
Methods of Modern Regional Stratigraphy.
Abstracts. Riga, 11-12.
Solcher, J. 1999. Fish fauna and origin of a
geschiebe of the Old Red Sandstone. In:
4th Baltic Stratigraphical Conference.
Problems and Methods of Modern
Regional Stratigraphy. Abstracts. Riga,
102.

Alison is working on her Ph.D. thesis which includes a new palaeoniscoid braincase from the Taemas district of New South Wales. She is currently working for the Geological Society of Australia
Geological Society of Australia
Suite 706, 301 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: 02 9290 2194
Fax: 02 9290 2198

Papers of note:
Basden, A. 1999. Emsian (Early Devonian)
microvertebrates from the Buchan and
Taemas areas of southeastern Australia.
Recs Western Australian Museum
Supplement No. 57:15-21.
Basden, A. 1999. Early Devonian
microvertebrates from the Tyers-Boola area
of central Victoria, Australia. In IGCP 421
Bologna-Moderna volume. Boll. Soc.
Paleont. It. 37 (2-3), 527-541
Basden, A., Young, G.C., Coates, M.I. &
Ritchie, A. 2000. The most primitive
osteichthyan braincase? Nature, Lond. 403,
185-188.
In press
Basden, A., Burrow, C., Hocking, M., Parkes,
R. & Young, G. 2000. Siluro-Devonian
microvertebrates from southeastern
Australia. Courier Forschungs-Institut
Senckenberg

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Patrick BENDER, Museum of the Council for Geoscience, Private Bag X112, Pretoria, 0001, SOUTH AFRICIA

Patrick is finishing off his Ph.D. thesis after a stay in Western Australia with supervisor John Long.

Papers of interest
Anderson, M.E., Long, J.A., Evans, F.J.,
Almond, J.E., Theron, J.N. & Bender, P.A.
1999. Biogeographic affinities of Middle and
Late Devonian fishes of South Africa. Recs
Western Australian Museum Supplement
No. 57: 157-168.
Bender, P.A. 1999. First documentation of
similar Late Permian actinopterygian fish
from Australia and South Africa. Recs
Western Australian Museum Supplement
No. 57:183-189.
Evans, F.J. & Bender, P.A. 1999. The
Permian Whitehill Formation (Ecca Group)
of South Africa: a preliminary review of
palaeoniscoid fishes and taphonomy. Recs
Western Australian Museum Supplement
No. 57: 175-181.

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Jan L. den BLAAUWEN, University of Amsterdam, E.C. Slater Insituut, Plantage Muidergracht 1018 TV AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands

Professor de Buisonjé, retired palaeontologist of the University of Amsterdam, and Jan are

***********
Alison BASDEN, Centre for Ecostratigraphy and Palaeobiology, Macquarie University, New South Wales, 2109, AUSTRALIA
alison@gsa.org.au