� Avant de donner un libre cours a notre imagiaation, il est essentiel de rassembler ua plus graad nombre de faits iacontestables, dont les cons�queacesnbsp;puisseat se d�duire d�elles-memes.��Sternberg,

VOLUME 11.

LONDON

1833�5.

Names of Subscribers to the � Fossil Flora,� received since the List �published with the Fit'st Volume.

BRACKENRIDGE, GEORGE W., Esq., F.S.A., F.G.S., Broom-well House, Brislington, Bristol.

CONWAY, C. Esq., Pontycrum Works, near Newport. COXWELL, G. S., Esq., Newcastle.

EDGAR, THOMAS, Esq., 25, Dorset-place, Dorset-square. EYTON, THOMAS, Esq., Eyton, Shropshire.

LANGDON, AUGUSTUS, Esq., M.R.I., F.A.S., and Z.S. LOONEY, FRANCIS, Esq., Oak-street, Manchester.nbsp;PRESTWICK, JOSEPH, Jun., Esq., F.G. S., Lawn, Southnbsp;Lambeth.

SAULL, W. DEV^ONSHIRE, Esq., F.G.S., 15, Aldersgate-street. SIMPSON, Rev. J. P., M.A., Wakefield.

It was a part of the plan laid down when we commenced this work, to take the opportunitynbsp;afforded by the appearance of each succeedingnbsp;volume, to state such general opinions as we mightnbsp;be ted to entertain on the subjects embraced;nbsp;accordingly, it is our intention at the present timenbsp;to detail some views we have been induced to takenbsp;of the circumstances under which the vegetablenbsp;fossils of the Carboniferous formation have beennbsp;deposited and mineralized, together with a general sketch of the rocks comprised in the termnbsp;� Coal Measuresin the structure and composition of which, vegetable remains form so important a part, as to give an economical value tonbsp;them, far surpassing any other. In doing this,nbsp;we beg it may be held in view by our readers,nbsp;that our references will be made exclusively to

the great Coal field of the North of England. We have several reasons for limiting ourselves,nbsp;in the present article, to this district; the first is,nbsp;it has been far more extensively worked, and itsnbsp;productions are, consequently, better known thannbsp;any other. It has, also, furnished us with a verynbsp;large portion of the materials we have hithertonbsp;made use of; and the residence of one of thenbsp;Authors in the midst of it, has necessarily broughtnbsp;the circumstances attending it more particularlynbsp;under our notice. There is a convenience, also,nbsp;in thus limiting our references, as our observationsnbsp;cannot occupy a large space; besides which, wenbsp;are convinced, that, in every essential circumstance, the history of one series of Coal measuresnbsp;is the history of every other of the same age.

It was our wish to have appended to this a Catalogue of all the vegetable fossils hitherto discovered in it; but, in attempting to form one,nbsp;we have immersed ourselves in a labyrinth ofnbsp;difficulties, one half of its fossils having nevernbsp;been described; and, although we could easilynbsp;ally a portion of these to known genera, yet thenbsp;greater number of them would remain absolutenbsp;riddles�-waiting for some fortunate discovery bynbsp;which they are to be connected with fossils alreadynbsp;known, or proved to belong to others yet to benbsp;discovered.

The beds usually denominated the Coal measures, being the higher part of the Carboniferous

formation, occupy a large portion of the Counties of Northumberland and Durham;, reposing upon,nbsp;and being conformable to, the inferior membersnbsp;of the series. They consist of irregularly alternating beds of sandstone, shale, or argillaceousnbsp;schist, and coal, whose aggregate thickness maynbsp;be estimated at 300 fathoms. This may not benbsp;correct, but is, probably, near enough the truthnbsp;for our purpose.

With the exception of the coal itself, and a few layers and nodules of clay-iron-stone, embeddednbsp;in some of the shales, the whole of these beds arenbsp;of mechanical origin, the shale being evidentlynbsp;laminated clay, or mud, consolidated by pressure ; and the sandstones abraded Quartz, Felspar, and Mica, agglutinated by an argillaceousnbsp;or calcareous cement. From whence the immense mass of travelled matter, of which thesenbsp;sandstone and shale beds are composed, maynbsp;have come, it is somewhat difficult to conjecture.nbsp;The sandstones of the series below the Coal measures, denominated millstone grit, contain interspersed masses of water-worn quartz, of considerable size; and rarely amongst those of the Coal-formation, a bed will be found, partaking of thenbsp;same characters; but the mass consists of minutenbsp;sdiceous grains, which are not rounded, or butnbsp;partly so ; from which it is fair to infer, that, whatever were its origin, the sand of which they arenbsp;composed was not brought from any great dis-

tance, or formed like the sands of our sea shore, by the slow action of attrition upon rocks previously consolidat�d, but that it had, probably,nbsp;been produced by the ruin of crystalline rocks,nbsp;so slightly coherent, as to have been unable tonbsp;withstand the violent action of water, to whichnbsp;they had been exposed. The sandstones are all,nbsp;more or less, micaceous, some of them containingnbsp;that mineral in large quantity; where this is thenbsp;case, and the plates are of considerable size, thenbsp;stone is finely schistose. This is another proofnbsp;that the materials forming the sandstone, hadnbsp;undergone little mechanical action previous tonbsp;deposition, or the fragile mica would have disappeared.

In the series of beds, the coal itself forms, in bulk, a very inconsiderable portion of the whole.nbsp;Forty seams are enumerated, but the greater partnbsp;of them are too thin to be worked to profit.

The district has long been famous for producing coal of the finest quality, which has been extensively worked, and, up to the present period, thenbsp;largest mining speculations in the kingdom, and,nbsp;probably, in the world, are carried on within it.nbsp;This being the case, it has become a matternbsp;of great economical importance, to define, asnbsp;nearly as possible, each separate bed in thenbsp;series, and this has been done with great minuteness. It is the universal belief of those best practically acquainted with the subject, that even the

thinner beds of coal, when not cut oflF by the rise of the strata to the surface, or by some fault, arenbsp;spread out over the whole area of the formation.nbsp;Whether this be the case or not with all thenbsp;seams, we shall not stop to enquire; but the twonbsp;beds known as the High and Low Main Seams,nbsp;from their not only being the thickest, but asnbsp;affording, in their whole mass, coal of fine quality,nbsp;have been worked for centuries, and are knownnbsp;over a space, in the first instance, of more thannbsp;80, and in the second, of 200 miles square.

In studying the Carboniferous formation generally, with reference to the circumstances under which its different members have been deposited,nbsp;nothing is more singular than the sudden change innbsp;the nature of the beds composing it, and the clearlynbsp;defined line by which these beds are separatednbsp;from each other; this is most particularly strikingnbsp;in the lower portion, where a thick stratum ofnbsp;Carbonate of Lime will be seen to terminatenbsp;abruptly, and be immediately succeeded by anbsp;bed of entirely mechanical origin, and of a composition so opposite, as to contain scarcely anynbsp;calcareous matter whatever. Nor is the differencenbsp;of the nature of the two beds more striking, thannbsp;the difference of their imbedded organic remains ;nbsp;whilst those of the limestone are almost exclusively of marine animals, the sandstones verynbsp;rarely contain fossils at all; and these, when pre-

The Carboniferous formation presents, from the lowest to the highest member, a series of the samenbsp;vegetable forms. In the sandstone beds, immediately succeeding the old red Conglomerate,nbsp;which occurs at the base of the formation, alongnbsp;the line of the great Cross fell fault, Sigillaria,nbsp;Lepidodendron, Calamites, and Stigmaria, beginnbsp;to make their appearance; as we ascend, the vegetable remains increase, whilst those of marinenbsp;animals, which existed in the limestone and shalenbsp;in profusion, decrease, until we arrive at thenbsp;Coal formation proper, where marine remainsnbsp;disappear, giving place to those of vegetablesnbsp;alone.

In this part of the series, we have the remains of plants in every bed; the sandstones containnbsp;them, but, from the roughness of their mechanical composition, it is the larger and strongernbsp;stems only which have left their forms impressednbsp;upon rocks of this class. Coal itself very rarelynbsp;retains any outward marks of its vegetable origin,nbsp;but the shale bed, immediately over the coal,nbsp;(when that substance forms the, covering, as itnbsp;usually does,) furnishes us with fossils in thenbsp;greatest abundance. These are exposed by thenbsp;operations of the miner, who, in removing thenbsp;coal, often brings to light vegetable forms of sin-

gular beauty and variety, which are almost invariably found parallel to the laminae of the stone, and pressed flat, their outward form being retained on the shale as it was taken by the softnbsp;mud which sealed them up, their substance beingnbsp;converted into coal. Very large stems are oftennbsp;found standing across the strata, and penetratingnbsp;through several different beds.

The vegetable origin of coal is now universally conceded ; and it is almost as universally believed,nbsp;that the plants, of the remains of which it is composed, were swept by torrents from some neighbouring high and dry land, into lakes and estuaries,nbsp;where, becoming saturated with moisture, andnbsp;loaded with sand and mud, they sank to the bottom, and there reposed upon previously depositednbsp;beds of sand and mud; another vegetable massnbsp;being in turn washed off, and buried by successive deposits of these substances, to be followed,nbsp;in due time, by another, and another.

Associated with the seams of coal, and in the beds immediately surrounding them, stems of Si-gillaria, of a large size, are frequently foundnbsp;standing erect, with their roots proceeding fromnbsp;them on all sides, (see vol. 1. plate 54.) We arenbsp;aware that the evidence of plants in this positionnbsp;having grown on the spots where we now findnbsp;their remains, is not complete if taken alone, asnbsp;it has been argued they have been floated from anbsp;distance, and left standing in an upright position

by the force of gravity, as is known occasionally to be the case during floods, where trees are removed along with the soil in which they grew;nbsp;and this seems to have been certainly the casenbsp;with the upright stems in the sandstone of thenbsp;French mine of St. Etienne, where the differentnbsp;levels of their roots prove, as M. Constant Prevostnbsp;has already remarked (Diet, des Sc. art. Terrain,)nbsp;that they could not have grown where they nownbsp;stand; but in the Lias Clifts near Whitby, wherenbsp;the fragile stems of Equisetum columnare occurnbsp;perpendicularly, they cannot have been so placednbsp;by force of gravity; and if evidence the most conclusive be required of the fact of vegetables havingnbsp;sometimes been overwhelmed on the spots wherenbsp;they grew during the deposition of the strata, it isnbsp;furnished by the Fossil Forest of what is called thenbsp;� Dirt bed,� immediately over the fine building-stone of the Island of Portland ; and sub-marinenbsp;forests of the present day supply us with the samenbsp;fact, connected with a different order of things.

The fossils of the Coal measures occur often in groups; thus in the roof of the coal in Fellingnbsp;Colliery, the remains of Pecopteris heterophylla,nbsp;(see vol. 1. plate 38,) were, a few years ago,nbsp;most abundant; they occurred alone, almost unmixed with any other, over a considerable space,nbsp;but, beyond that, have been rarely found, so thatnbsp;they are now comparatively scarce. Could suchnbsp;grouping have taken place if the individuals hadnbsp;been swept from a distance ?

In plate 31, vol. 1, we figured a nearly perfect specimen of Stigmaria Ficoides, which was found,nbsp;with two others, almost as perfect, in the shalenbsp;forming the covering of the coal, in the Benshamnbsp;seam, Jarrow Colliery, at the depth of about 200nbsp;fathoms from the surface; since that period, 14nbsp;others have occurred, all in the same bed, andnbsp;within a space of about 600 yards square.*

Two of the specimens above alluded to, have been recently removed from the mine; one is the impression of the under side of the plant, shewing thenbsp;central concavity, and 15 arms proceeding from it,nbsp;four of which are distinctly branched; they arenbsp;all truncated, the longest being four feet and anbsp;half.

is of much smaller dimensions ; and, in this case, fortunately, the fossil has detached itself from the

� That a proper idea may be formed of the abundance in which the remains of Stigmaria occur in this bed, it should benbsp;stated, that those alluded to above, have all been brought to

roof, thus affording an opportunity of examining the upper surface of the central portion, whichnbsp;none of the before cited instances did. This exhibits the same wrinkled appearance, with indistinct circular spots, as the under side describednbsp;vol. 1, page 104; it has nine arms, five of whichnbsp;sub-divide into two branches, at about 18 inchesnbsp;from the centre of the fossil, and one at three feet;nbsp;in this, as in the other instance, they are all broken off short. This fossil, as before observed,nbsp;occurred in the bed of shale immediately over thenbsp;coal, towards which all the branches slanted.nbsp;Two of these, which were longer than the others,nbsp;were seen to reach the coal, where they were lostnbsp;in the mass; whether the others had done so ornbsp;not, could not be ascertained.

It would be out of place here, to recapitulate what has been already said of the form and naturenbsp;of this strange fossil; but we must be allowed tonbsp;observe, that the opportunities of further examination afforded by these several specimens, havenbsp;proved that the centre was a continuous homogeneous cup, or dome, and not the remains of the

light in a short period, by the working of the mine; and that only in the roof of the passages, as from the mode of operation-rendered necessary by the nature of the bed above the coalnbsp;at the first working, two thirds of that substance is left standing for its support; when this coal is afterwards removed, thenbsp;roof will fall, so that it may never be possible to ascertain hownbsp;many of these fossils now remain covered up.

arms squeezed into a single mass, as we formerly surmised it might be. We have, also, been furnished with the most convincing evidence of thenbsp;leaves proceeding from the stem in all directions,nbsp;thus:�

and, although we must still suppose the great length assigned to the leaves by that intelligent observer,nbsp;Mr. Steinhauer, of 20 feet, to have originated innbsp;some error of observation, it gives us pleasure thusnbsp;further to confirm the views originally taken bynbsp;him, of this singular tribe of plants; we have, ourselves, seen the leaves well defined, three feetnbsp;long.

Could it be possible for these plants, of a yielding fleshy substance, with numerous arms proceeding on all sides from a central dome, to be floated from the dry land, and buried in the mud

of an estuary, without being broken and squeezed �the extent of the out-stretched arms, when perfect, having been at least 20 to 30 feet ? If theynbsp;had been so floated, they must of necessity, innbsp;sinking down upon the muddy surface, have becomenbsp;flattened, and could not have presented the convexnbsp;form we now find them invariably in. The leaves,nbsp;also, which thickly surrounded the arras, couldnbsp;not, under any circumstances, even supposingnbsp;them to have been hard woody spines, (whichnbsp;they assuredly were not,) have taken the direction in which we now find them, proceeding fromnbsp;the stem on all sides at right angles to its axis, andnbsp;penetrating the shale, even perpendicularly up andnbsp;down, to the extent of two or three feet, at least; hadnbsp;the plants been floated, the leaves, on the contrary,nbsp;must of necessity have been pressed upon thenbsp;arms, surrounding which we should have foundnbsp;their remains, in confused masses, and spread outnbsp;irregularly by their side, in the plane of the surface on which the plant had finally reposed; nonenbsp;of this, however, takes place; but, on the contrary,nbsp;when the shale is split, so as to expose the surface of the fossil, the leaves are seen proceeding,nbsp;with the greatest regularity, each from its separate tubercle, those only being distinct in thenbsp;length and breadth, which, when in a growingnbsp;state, had been shot out in the plane which isnbsp;now the cleavage of the shale. (See plates 32nbsp;and 33, vol. 1.)

From all these circumstances, we are compelled to conclude, that these Stigmari� were not floatednbsp;from a distance, but that, on the contrary, theynbsp;grew on the spots where we now find their remains, in the soft mud, most likely, of stillnbsp;and shallow water. It is worthy of observation, that the fossil remains of a Unio, (undescribed,) occur, in considerable abundance, associated with the Stigmarim, but, in a shale, whichnbsp;forms the covering of the high main coa,l in thenbsp;same colliery; and about 45 fathoms above thenbsp;Stigmaria bed, as we may very appropriatelynbsp;designate it, there is, in one spot, a considerablenbsp;accumulation of this same fossil Unio; the coalnbsp;has been worked out under the layer of shells, innbsp;all directions, and they are found to cover an areanbsp;of 5000 square feet. The shells are partly embedded in the coal itself, (which is spoiled bynbsp;them,) and partly in the shale above it; the bednbsp;is about 18 inches thick; the animals have, evidently, died at various ages; and the shells, of allnbsp;sizes, are, many of them, gaping open. As it isnbsp;impossible to conceive these, consisting of onenbsp;species only, to have been brought from a distance, and deposited here, we must conclude, thatnbsp;this bed of shells, (and there are many morenbsp;known in other parts of the series,) marks whatnbsp;had been, for some considerable period, as compared with the age of man, the uppermost surfacenbsp;of the earth, upon which fresh, and, probably, still

water, had reposed, as in the before-cited case. Now, although it may be true, that the presencenbsp;of organic remains in any stratum, be evidencenbsp;sufficient of its having once been at the surface,nbsp;yet the additional evidence in these cases, is sonbsp;far valuable, as it proves that these beds remainednbsp;uncovered for a period of considerable duration;nbsp;long enough, indeed, for plants of a large size tonbsp;flourish, and beds of muscles of considerable thickness to form, by the successive growth and decaynbsp;of the animals.

What an amazing idea is thus forced upon us, of the length of the period which might elapse,nbsp;during the deposition of the Coal measures alone,nbsp;where the beds here referred to, are but two innbsp;hundreds, any one of which may have have beennbsp;as long uncovered by its successors in the series;nbsp;and what is the whole of the Coal formation, compared with the great mass of the secondary strata?nbsp;�a single layer of stones in a stupendous edifice!

It has been already stated, that one of the seams of coal in the Northern Coal Field, is knovvnnbsp;over an area of 200 square miles; now, supposingnbsp;this seam to have originated in the way generallynbsp;believed, by a sweeping of vegetables from thenbsp;land, could we, in any case, conceive such a massnbsp;floated down at one time, as to cover such anbsp;space ? And if this bed be also spread over thenbsp;formation where it has not yet been worked, wenbsp;shall have to double or treble the space ; if it had

been so produced, is it likely it would have presented, throughout the whole of this extent, an absolute continuity, and an even thickness�thisnbsp;thickness being, at the same time, so inconsiderable, as rarely to exceed six feet ? Should we notnbsp;rather have expected to find the vegetable matternbsp;unequally spread, and irregularly accumulated ?

Again�if this seam of coal had originated in the violent action of a current of water, sweepingnbsp;vegetables from the spots where they grew, wouldnbsp;not some of the soil and detritus in which theynbsp;vegetated, or the loosely aggregated matter whichnbsp;then, at least periodically, existed in abundance,nbsp;be washed down and mixed with them ? Therenbsp;is no evidence of violent action whatever in thenbsp;beds of the Coal measures; there is not any thingnbsp;approaching a conglomerate, the grains of sandnbsp;comprising the sandstone being the largest transported fragments visible. It is one remarkablenbsp;character of the seams of rich coal, that, from thenbsp;floor to the roof, (to use the miners expressivenbsp;terms,) they contain no foreign admixture whatever. Occasionally, thin layers of sandstone, ornbsp;shale, occur, by which the seam is partially divided into two or more parts, indicating a slightnbsp;partial effusion of stony matter over the surfacenbsp;of the vegetable mass, whilst it was yet forming;nbsp;but this is the exception to the rule; and only onenbsp;instance, that we are aware of, has ever occurred,nbsp;of a rolled fragment of stone being found in the

coal, and that was a pebble of water worn grey quartz, in Backworth Colliery, near Newcastle;nbsp;we may be tolerably certain that such a circumstance is not common, as the high character ofnbsp;the Newcastle coal arises, in part, from the totalnbsp;absence of foreign matter.

Other arguments, to prove that the plants which formed coal were either not drifted at all, or atnbsp;least not from any great distance, may be foundnbsp;not only in the perfect state of the leaves of manynbsp;Ferns, but in the sharp angles of the stems ofnbsp;plants which there is every reason to believenbsp;must have been of a very succulent nature, suchnbsp;for example as Favularia tessellata, tt. 73, 74, andnbsp;75 of this work; and many of the Sigillarias, somenbsp;of which occur with their surface marked withnbsp;lines and streaks so delicate, that a day�s driftingnbsp;would have injured them. Again, at t. 76, we havenbsp;figured a cluster of the fruits called Cardiocarponnbsp;acutum; had these been drifted, one would thinknbsp;they must have been dispersed, instead of beingnbsp;collected into one spot, just as if they had fallennbsp;there from the plant that bore them.

That the fossils which we find irregularly interspersed in the sandstones, or shales, of this formation, may have, in some instances, originatednbsp;from drifted vegetables, there is, perhaps, reasonnbsp;to believe; thus it may have been with Dicotyledonous trees, fragments only of whose stems havenbsp;been traced 70 feet long, without either extremity

being seen ; these we are sure must have grown upon a dry surface, and that surface have beennbsp;unchanged for many years. And, in fact, theynbsp;are found in just the state in which we should expect to find drifted stems, their limbs shattered,nbsp;their bark beaten and rotted off, and their woodnbsp;in a high state of decay. But that any considerable part of the plants which formed the bedsnbsp;of coal were drifted at all, appears, from the foregoing remarks, to be highly improbable; that theynbsp;should have been brought by equatorial currentsnbsp;from the regions of the tropics, is perfectly chimerical.

When such a mass of vegetable matter as is now periodically brought down by the Mississippi,nbsp;is deposited upon mud, or sand, of which thenbsp;bottom of some of its branches, or bays, may consist, and is there covered by another bed of sand,nbsp;or mud ; is it likely, that, if, at any future period,nbsp;the Carbonaceous deposit should be removed,nbsp;the surface of the beds, either above or below it,nbsp;would be even and flat ? Would it not rather benbsp;found, that the interstices and inequalities whichnbsp;there must be betwixt the trunks of the trees,nbsp;had been filled up by the matter which coverednbsp;the mass, and that some of the stronger stems,nbsp;having settled unequally, had stood out, penetrating the surrounding soft strata, either above,nbsp;or below ? Something of this kind, under similarnbsp;circumstances, must, at all times, have been thenbsp;case; yet, nothing like an indication of it attends

our coal beds, for, not only are they, as before observed, free from the admixture of matter foreign to the formation, but the surfaces by whichnbsp;the coal is separated from the beds above andnbsp;below it, are as even and well defined, as thosenbsp;of the limestones in the lower part of the series.

From the circumstances already related, we are compelled to the conclusion, that the beds of coalnbsp;chiefly originated in vegetable matter whichnbsp;lived, died, and was decomposed, upon the spotsnbsp;where we now find it. The analogy of Peat, atnbsp;the present day, naturally suggests itself; and,nbsp;according to this view of the subject, we mustnbsp;consider each of our coal beds as having originatednbsp;in an extended surface of marshy land, coverednbsp;with a rank luxuriant vegetation. Should thenbsp;length of time required for such an accumulationnbsp;of vegetable matter suggest itself as a difficulty,nbsp;it may be in part got over, when we bear in mindnbsp;the fact of the enormous size of the individualnbsp;plants, and that all those having any living analogues, sufficiently attest a much more rapid growth,nbsp;consequent upon a heated humid atmosphere, than,nbsp;at present, is any where known to take place. Thenbsp;difference is, probably, not greater betwixt thenbsp;stunted growth of an Iceland vegetation of thenbsp;present day, and the rank luxuriance of a tropicalnbsp;swamp, than between even the latter and the vegetation of the Carboniferous period.

The remains of Stigmaria are so abundant throughout the whole of the Carboniferous for-

niation, that it is impossible to travel far along any road, without its form being detected by thenbsp;practised eye. In some of the best and most closelynbsp;observed instances of its mode of occurrence in thenbsp;bed before described, the arms could be tracednbsp;from the central dome, slanting downwards into thenbsp;coal, where all trace of them was completely lost.nbsp;Coal, which rarely bears any outward vegetablenbsp;form, presents that of Stigmaria oftener than anynbsp;other, and it is certainly one of the most abundantnbsp;fossils of the whole formation ; from which facts, wenbsp;should appear to be fully warranted in considering,nbsp;that the growth of plants of this class was one ofnbsp;the great means made use of by the Almightynbsp;Architect of the globe, in absorbing and renderingnbsp;solid that excess of Carbon, which, it is believed,nbsp;must, at the period of the formation of the Coal-measures, have existed in the atmosphere; thus rendering it fit for the support of animal life, and, atnbsp;last, a proper habitation for man. We cannot contemplate this storing up such a mass of combustible matter, and the iron which always accompanies it in the depths of the earth, at a remotenbsp;epoch, for the consumption and enjoyment ofnbsp;creatures, afterwards to exist on its surface, without being struck with the benevolence and wisdomnbsp;manifest in the design.

Whilst contemplating a bed of coal as the product of vegetation swept from a higher level of �i�'y land, the question is ever recurring�wherenbsp;�'vas the land ?�a question which, as far as we

know it, is impossible to answe r and which might be considered alone sufficient to shake thenbsp;theory of the Coal-plants having been drifted fromnbsp;neighbouring hills. We are well aware that this isnbsp;but one of a thousand questions in Geology morenbsp;easy to propound than to solve ; but, surely, therenbsp;ought to be some indication of those rocks, ofnbsp;anterior formation, on which this mass of vegetation grew; the surface that could supply sonbsp;much, could be of no inconsiderable extent.nbsp;That the plants had not been brought from a greatnbsp;distance, is proved, by the perfect state of preservation of the most delicate filmy leaves. Thenbsp;only rocks of the older formation, near to thenbsp;great Northern Coal Field, are the Cumberlandnbsp;group, and the Cheviots; but it is certain thatnbsp;the former were protruded at a period long subsequent to the formation of the Coal measures ;nbsp;and, although there is in the case of the Cheviotsnbsp;a want of evidence to carry us so far up in thenbsp;great series, yet we are sure that they rose, afternbsp;the deposition and consolidation of the older members, at least, of the Carboniferous formation.nbsp;The beds below the Coal measures, do now rise,nbsp;at their western edge, to a height somewhatnbsp;mountainous; but here, again, we have proofnbsp;of a rising, long posterior to the formation of thenbsp;coal; and they are, besides, a part of the seriesnbsp;we are considering, and are characterized by thenbsp;presence of the same class of vegetable fossils asnbsp;have, doubtless, formed coal.

There are three principal varieties of Bituminous Coal, each of which occur in the Northern Coal Field ;�viz. fine caking Coal, which is anbsp;crystalline compound, breaking into rhomboidalnbsp;fragments; Cannel, called, also. Splint, andnbsp;Parrot Coal, which is compact and tough, breaking with a conchoidal fracture; and Slate Coal,nbsp;which is a mixture of the two other varieties, innbsp;thin horizontal layers.

The finest caking coal, of which the Newcastle Coal Field principally consists, being, as beforenbsp;stated, a crystalline compound, its constituentsnbsp;must have been in a state of solution. Cannel,nbsp;or Parrot Coal, often bears the impression ofnbsp;plants, as does the third variety; but it is possible to prepare slices of all of them so thin as tonbsp;be transparent, which, upon examination by thenbsp;microscope, show the tissue of the original vegetables very clearly ; Cannel Coal seems to retain it throughout the whole mass, whilst it existsnbsp;in fine coal in small patches only, which appear,nbsp;as it were, mechanically entangled.

By the microscopic examination of coal, a singular arrangement becomes visible; a number of elongated tubular passages are found, filled with anbsp;beautiful wine-yellow coloured resinous matter,nbsp;which is the most volatile part of the solid coal,nbsp;being what is first driven off when coal is exposednbsp;to heat. Each variety of coal exhibits this structure in a greater or less degree, but fine coal thenbsp;ieast, as, in it, the vegetable elements appear to

form an almost perfect union. When the different varieties of coal occur together in the same seam, or bed, as they frequently do, they are notnbsp;indiscriminately mixed, but have a well definednbsp;line of separation between them. In Wylam Colliery, near Newcastle, the principal bed of coalnbsp;is, at its lower part, a fine splint, approachingnbsp;Cannel, the middle and main part is Crystallinenbsp;coal, and the upper part of the seam is a mixturenbsp;of the other two, in alternate layers, thus presenting, in one seam, all the three varieties of thenbsp;Newcastle district. But it is not the seams ofnbsp;coal only which exhibit these abrupt changes ofnbsp;nature, as small specimens may be gathered atnbsp;the mouth of every mine, which, within the compass of an inch, will, upon their perpendicularnbsp;faces, show alternate layers of fine crystallinenbsp;coal, and coal destitute of crystalline structure.nbsp;It is certain each bed of coal, and more particularlynbsp;each separate layer in that bed, must have beennbsp;placed in precisely similar circumstances sincenbsp;the deposition of the vegetable matter of which it isnbsp;composed; and we cannot suppose that matter tonbsp;have obtained any of its elements after it wasnbsp;buried in the earth, but rather that the differencenbsp;between the several varieties of coal and recentnbsp;vegetables, as shewn by analysis, must have arisennbsp;from the play of affinities which has taken placenbsp;in the mass when reduced to such a state as tonbsp;allow of motion amongst the particles, (the resultnbsp;of the most complete solution of the fibre being

the finest coal, whilst in the indifferent varieties this motion appears to have been obstructed bynbsp;the tissue,) from which it seems naturally to follownbsp;that the several varieties of coal arise from somenbsp;difference existing, previous to deposition, and thatnbsp;difference is most likely to have been, originally, innbsp;the nature of the plants, of whose remains the coalnbsp;beds consist. If we are right in this conclusion, wenbsp;are thus furnished with an additional argumentnbsp;against the common opinion of the origin of coal;nbsp;if the vegetables had been washed from a distance, is it likely that the different kinds wouldnbsp;have separated so completely, as to have producednbsp;the several varieties of coal, so distinct from eachnbsp;other ? often in layers, far too thick and continuousnbsp;for us to suppose them to have originated, butnbsp;from a multitude of plants of the same kind.nbsp;However this may have been, we have little doubtnbsp;of being able to pronounce, with tolerable accuracy, as the knowledge of the subject extends,nbsp;what the plants were, the remains of which are ofnbsp;Such incalculable value to us in the form of coal.

It was at one time believed, that the remains of Dicotyledonous woods did not exist in thenbsp;Carboniferous formation; but subsequent obser-'^ation, aided by the power of the microscope,nbsp;which has been applied with so much perseverancenbsp;and effect, by our esteemed friend and fellow labourer, Mr.Witham, has enabled us to detect themnbsp;almost every quarry. Nevertheless, the greatnbsp;bulk of the vegetables, of what may emphatically

be called the Carboniferous period, undoubtedly have been of the genera Sigillaria, Lepidoden-dron, Calamites, Sigillaria, and Ferns. The morenbsp;woody plants, on the contrary, after being buried, were able to resist decay, until their finenbsp;tissue was completely filled up and sustained, bynbsp;the gradual infiltration of mineral matter.

It is in consequence of the almost universal change into coal, which has taken place in plantsnbsp;of this period, that their internal organization isnbsp;so obscure; but, fortunately for our science, individuals are sometimes found uncompressed, andnbsp;retaining the form of their internal organization innbsp;considerable perfection.

Mr. Witham has thus, already, been able to detect the structure of a Lepidodendron, whichnbsp;was fortunately found by the Rev. C. G. V.nbsp;Harcourt, and upon which we shall have to makenbsp;some observations in the present volume. To thisnbsp;part of the subject we should wish to direct thenbsp;attention of our friends, more particularly suchnbsp;as may be resident in those Carboniferous districts where Calcareous Spar, and Sulphuret andnbsp;Carbonate of Iron, abound ; it is only where mineralizing matter has been held in chemical solution in abundance, that we can expect to find thenbsp;delicate and evanescent textures of the coal fossilsnbsp;preserved. By careful examination in such situations, and the aid of the microscope, the secret ofnbsp;their real nature will be revealed.

PiibU/hed. by Bidaway Ji Son^. Londan.-dtcly. 7833.

This is the remains of some large plant, of which the scarred stems and the bodies that belong to the scars alone are left.

Upon the surface of the stem are discoverable a considerable number of minute dots, arrangednbsp;in a quincuncial manner, something less thannbsp;half an inch apart: and it is probable that thosenbsp;niay be the scars of leaves; but at present therenbsp;IS nothing to prove that they were so.

At intervals of ten or eleven inches, the stem IS marked with deep circular concavities, four ornbsp;five inches across, at the bottom of each of which

a distinct fracture, indicating that something has been broken out; while the sides of the concavities have concentric marks, as if from thenbsp;pressure upon them of rounded scales.

Fragments, of which we possess one, have been taken out of the cavities, and shew that they arenbsp;the points of attachment of very large cones, consisting, as far as can be made out from what isnbsp;left, of rounded polished scales, three-tenths of annbsp;inch thick, attached to a central axis, and fittingnbsp;accurately to each other. Upon the whole, theynbsp;have so completely the appearance of the base ofnbsp;such a strobilus as that of Pinus Lambertiana, thatnbsp;we cannot doubt that the plant belonged to thenbsp;natural order Coniferce.

In recent plants, however, we have nothing at all like this in the manner in which the conesnbsp;appear: for it seems as if they grew from the oldnbsp;trunk ; unless, indeed, we are to suppose, of whichnbsp;there is no proof, that the plant knew no seasons,nbsp;but grew with such rapidity that its branchesnbsp;had acquired, by the second year, a diameter ofnbsp;seven or eight inches.

Of all the anomalous forms that the Coal measures have afforded traces, this is, perhaps, the most remarkable, and the best made out as to itsnbsp;external structure.

BOTHRODENDRON PUNCTATUM.

This is, in size, and all other characters, so similar to the last, that we can discover little difference between them, except in the absence, in this specimen, of the quincuncial dots, found onnbsp;the surface of the other. We presume this to be annbsp;accidental circumstance, and that the specimennbsp;in question has lost its external surface. Thenbsp;scars are not more than six inches apart; but thisnbsp;cannot be taken as a distinctive mark, unsupportednbsp;hy other peculiarities.

�kaaoHi-r

yiafij�f'^ jgixlt;

Fiiblipted })y W-dgway gt;amp; Sms lenden Jtdy 1833-

Perhaps it would be scarcely worth publishing such fragments as those now represented, if itnbsp;Were not for the sake of adding a new proof tonbsp;those already known, of the existence of an extremely diversified Flora, and of many highlynbsp;organized plants, at the period of the Old Coal-formation.

This is, beyond all doubt, the remains of the inflorescence of some plant; but it would puzzlenbsp;the most ingenious speculator to find a single character in the fossil, upon which a positive opinion as to its original nature can be formed. Itnbsp;seems as if it had been half decayed before it wasnbsp;imbedded, and its parts of fructification have sonbsp;blended together, that it is in vain to attempt evennbsp;to describe them; all that can be said is, that

there is a tolerably distinct appearance of a calyx, which seems to have enclosed petals much longernbsp;than itself; this, taken together with the probability that it owes its preservation to its havingnbsp;been originally of a hard and indestructible texture, has induced us to name it as if it had beennbsp;allied to some of the recent tribe of Bromelias,nbsp;to which, especially the genus Pitcairnia, it hasnbsp;as much resemblance as to any thing else.

From the upper sandstone and shale of the Oolitic rocks, at Gristhorp Bay, near Scarborough,nbsp;where it was discovered by Mr. W. Williamson,nbsp;jun., to whom we are indebted for the figure,nbsp;together with a specimen, and the following memorandum.

� This plant appears to have grown to a considerable length ; as, in the specimen from which the accompanying drawing was taken, there isnbsp;little or no variation in the thickness of the petiole, through a space of eight inches. The latternbsp;has a deep furrow running down the centre.�

From this circumstance, it is evident that the specimen is preserved with its upper surface onlynbsp;exposed to view; a circumstance which is sonbsp;common, as to lead to the suspicion, that the truenbsp;cause of the general absence of remains of fructifica-t'lon hi fossil Ferns, is the greater adhesion of theirnbsp;lower fructifying surface to the matter in which they

are imbedded, than of their upper, which is generally smoother, and has less means of sticking to the matrix.

� Part of the pinnae are often met with, but generally in pieces not more than three or four inches long. In the pinnee, the rachis has a small indistinct line, or ridge, on each side, to which thenbsp;central vein of each leaflet appears to be attached.�nbsp;It is, therefore, probable that the rachis wasnbsp;winged. � Next the petiole, the leaflets arenbsp;smaller and rounder than those at a greater distance, which gradually elongate, and take an undulated form ; but they frequently vary very muchnbsp;in shape.�

This is very nearly allied to N. Dufresnoyi, var. found in the slate quarries of Lod�ves, innbsp;the Department of the Herault, which are referrednbsp;to the new red sandstone formation. Adolphenbsp;Brongniart, indeed, considers that species to benbsp;simply pinnated ; but unless he had better specimens for examination than those he has figured,nbsp;one does not see why it should not have been ofnbsp;as compounded a structure as this.

We know no species of Pecopteris with which this can be confounded; its very blunt leaflets,nbsp;which are almost cordate at the base, and its undulated outline, together with the distance atnbsp;which its veins are placed from each other, are allnbsp;peculiar to itself.

We have not, at present, met with it in any other situation than that above mentioned.

In sandstone, in a quarry near South Shields, from a specimen furnished by Isaac Cookson, Esq.

Whatever this may have been, it is evidently very distinct from any thing hitherto described.nbsp;Probably, the present specimen has been jammednbsp;and distorted so much, as to have lost, in a greatnbsp;degree, its original character, but enough remainsnbsp;to convey some idea of its external structure.

It seems to have been a plant of small dimensions, the surface of whose stem was completely covered with little processes, which, in fallingnbsp;away, left minute quincuncial ill-defined spots,nbsp;that rapidly became separated and obliterated,nbsp;as the stem advanced in age. Among these spots,nbsp;at intervals of three-fourths of an inch every way,nbsp;were arranged little projections, the apex of whichnbsp;was terminated by some appendage now lost.nbsp;The ramification seems to have been dichotomous,nbsp;but this is extremely uncertain.

The principal questions to answer, are, first� What were the processes? and, second�whatnbsp;were the projections ? If the processes werenbsp;leaves, as appears probable, then the projectionsnbsp;will have been either the bases of old, or the pointsnbsp;of rudimentary branches; and in that case thenbsp;affinity of the fossil will be nearest with Halonia.nbsp;(See the next Article.) But if we suppose thenbsp;processes to have been analogous to the ramentanbsp;of Ferns, then the projections may be considerednbsp;of the same nature as those we find in Stigmaria,nbsp;where they are plainly the bases of leaves. Anbsp;great objection to this view is, that the arrangement of the spots left by the processes is too regular for ramenta.

The only branch that is seen in the specimen, will not enable a Botanist to say whether thenbsp;mode of ramification was dichotomous, or alternate. If the projections are the bases of leaves,nbsp;it may have been dichotomous; but if they arenbsp;rudimentary branches, it must have been alternate.

Under these circumstances, we are forced to leave the specimen in a state of uncertainty,nbsp;which is unfortunately but too common in thisnbsp;science.

�6

HALONIA GRACILIS.

At first sight one would be disposed to consider this a Lepidodendron, to which its rhomboidal scarsnbsp;give it a strong resemblance. But if we considernbsp;Lepidodendron as an extinct form of Lycopodiaccce,nbsp;we must limit it to those fossils in which thenbsp;mode of branching was dichotomous, for no othernbsp;kind of ramification is met with in recent Lycopo-diacecE.

Here, however, it is plain, from the numerous scars of branches, that they were arranged in annbsp;alternate manner round a common elongating axis,nbsp;after the plan that now obtains in the Spruce Fir.nbsp;In fact, if we compare this with a vigorous branchnbsp;of a Spruce Fir, one year old, we shall find thenbsp;resemblance very striking, even in the scars of thenbsp;leaves.

For this reason^ and for the sake of rendering our notions of the extinct Flora as definite as wenbsp;can, the genus Halonia is proposed to comprehend all those fossils, in which, to the surface ofnbsp;Lepidodendron, is added the mode of branching ofnbsp;certain Coniferce, and which it is, therefore, to benbsp;inferred, were of a nature analogous to the latter.

It seems hopeless to determine the affinities of fossil fruits, unless they can be procured attachednbsp;to the branches that bore them; for it is, innbsp;general, impossible, from external inspection only,nbsp;to tell the relationship even of recent fruits.

For this reason we will not occupy time in profitless speculation upon the fossil plants to which these seeds have belonged, but confine ourselvesnbsp;to one point only.

It has been suggested that they are the remains of the seeds of some of the gigantic ConifercE thatnbsp;flourished in the primaeval forests, from the destruction of which coal has been produced; andnbsp;one would certainlyexpect to meet with both their

cones and seeds, wherever the branches, which are the most perishable part, have been preserved.nbsp;But up to the present day, we believe, that no onenbsp;has found any trace of such parts, except in thenbsp;curious case of Bothrodendron, (see page 1) ; unless some of the Lepidostrobi are considerednbsp;Coniferous.

We cannot say that the fruit now represented is likely to have belonged to any of the extinctnbsp;Pines; at the same time one would be hardlynbsp;justified in absolutely denying it. Fig. 1, represents the fossil in a nearly complete state, withnbsp;the outer shell unbroken ; but there is nothing tonbsp;shew whether the shell was pericarpial or seminal.nbsp;At Fig. 2, it is partially broken, so as to shew annbsp;internal cavity in which a round body is visible,nbsp;which may have been either a seed or a nucleus ;nbsp;from the twisted appearance of the surface of anbsp;part of this specimen, we may conclude that thenbsp;shell was of spongy texture. Fig. 3, representsnbsp;the nature of the internal cavity in a still clearernbsp;manner; and it is evident that from the thickernbsp;end, where the seed lies to the narrow end, therenbsp;was either a passage, or a vascular communication. In the former case, it might have beennbsp;Coniferous; in the latter, it must have been of anbsp;totally different kind, and the specimen must benbsp;considered inverted.

In point of size, the only recent Coniferous seed that can be compared to this, is that of Arau-

ARAUCARIA PEREGRINA.

Communicated with the following fossil, frQm the Blue Lias of Lyme, in Dorsetshire, by tl)enbsp;Misses Philpot.

The specimen, which has been carefully cleaned from the lias when soft, is one of the most perfectnbsp;that we have ever seen; every thing, even thenbsp;surface of the leaves, having been completely preserved. Unfortunately, the accompanying figurenbsp;is not so good as could be wished; but we trustnbsp;that any defects in it will be supplied by the following description of the specimen,

It consists of a branch upwards of a foot long, from the sides of which proceed four or fivenbsp;laterals, spreading widely from the main stem,nbsp;and slightly curved. Both these, and the principal stem, , are closely covered by thick, ovate,nbsp;blunt leaves, which seem to have had a verynbsp;broad edge, and a rhomboidal figure, and which

over-lap each other nearly half their length; when fresh, the leaves were probably even on the surface, but now they are a good deal shrivelled,nbsp;as if they had been half decayed when imbedded,nbsp;and their midrib projects till it reaches the apex,nbsp;which is slightly curved inwards; the whole surface is marked by minute impressed dots, like thenbsp;elytra of a colopterous insect.

Although the specimen is in good preservation, and of large size, yet no trace of fructification isnbsp;discoverable on it.

The imbricated leaves remind one of the surface of Lepidodendron; but their thickness and bluntness, and the want of all tendency to a dichotomous ramification, render it improbable thatnbsp;the specimen was much related to that genus.

It is no doubt to Coniferse that it is to be referred ; and in fact it is so similar to the adult specimens of Araucaria excelsa, the Norfolk Islandnbsp;Pine, that at first we fancied we should have anbsp;case of identity between a fossil and a recentnbsp;plant.

But upon comparing the two plants carefully, it turns out that the leaves of the fossil are sonbsp;much larger and blunter than those of the recentnbsp;species, as to leave no doubt of their having beennbsp;specifically distinct. At the same time, the comparison confirms their great similarity, and establishes the important fact, that at the period ofnbsp;the deposit of the lias, the vegetation was similar

to that of the southern hemisphere, not alone in the single fact of the presence of Cycadete, but thatnbsp;the Pines were also of the nature of species nownbsp;found only to the south of the Equator. Of thenbsp;four recent species of Araucaria at present known,nbsp;one is found on the east coast of New Holland,nbsp;another in Norfolk Island, a third in Brazil, andnbsp;the fourth on the south eastern Alps of the American Continent.

From the Blue Lias of Lyme, in Dorsetshire ; communicated from the Museum of the Missesnbsp;Philpot.

This remarkable fossil has occurred in a rounded mass of the Lias, the fracture of which has discovered it. It was evidently a cone formed ofnbsp;broad imbricated scales, which were longer aboutnbsp;the middle of the cone than either at the base ornbsp;apex. The scales in front of the specimen havingnbsp;been imbedded in the lias, are broken off, andnbsp;nothing remains of them but their fractured bases ;nbsp;but from the impressions of those at the side, itnbsp;would seem that they had rather a lax arrangement, and were broadest at the point of attachment to the axis, that they tapered to the points,nbsp;which were a little recurved, and that these pointsnbsp;were abruptly truncated. This structure is sufficiently visible in some parts of the accompanyingnbsp;figure; but it is much more perceptible in thenbsp;fragment that corresponds with the part now represented ; from this fragment we are able to discover that the lower scales were not ordy shorter,

but also thinner than the upper. No trace of the original surface remains; but in its room, a thinnbsp;stratum of cracked and broken carbonaceousnbsp;matter overlies all the parts.

We presume there can be little doubt of this being a cone of some kind; and if so, it mustnbsp;have belonged either to some Coniferous genus, ornbsp;to one of the Cycadese ; for no other natural ordersnbsp;bear cones of such a kind.

To which of these it is to be referred, can scarcely be a matter of doubt. The great breadthnbsp;of the scales at the point of their insertion intonbsp;the axis is at variance with the structure ofnbsp;Zamia, to which alone, among Cycadeas, thenbsp;fossil can be compared; but it is in perfect accordance with that of Coniferae, whether we contrast the specimen with the narrow cones of jPimtsnbsp;Strobus, and its allies, or with the broad ovatenbsp;ones of such plants as Araucaria and Cunning-hamia. It is, however, far from agreeing with anynbsp;modern species, from all which its tapering butnbsp;truncated scales distingush it essentially.

Is it possible that it can be the fruit of the plant last figured ? This must of course be mere conjecture, there being no sort of evidence either fornbsp;or against the supposition. It is neverthelessnbsp;deserving notice, that supposing that plant tonbsp;have been related to Araucaria, this fruit is of thenbsp;same nature as it would in that case have beennbsp;likely to have borne.

CYCLOPTERIS OBLIQUA.

Specimens of this extremely well marked fossil are not of very uncommon occurrence, but theynbsp;do not seem to have been met with out of England.nbsp;M. Adolphe Brongniart figured it from Yorkshirenbsp;specimens, given him by Mr. Greenough ; thosenbsp;now represented are from Jarrow Colliery; andnbsp;we have received a drawing of a small specimennbsp;from Mr. Conway, found in the mines of Pont-newydd, near Newport, in Monmouthshire.

It appears to have varied a good deal in size, our fig. A being of the natural dimensions, B aboutnbsp;a quarter less than the natural size, and Mr. Conway�s much smaller than even A.

There is no living plant with which this can be identified, nor any fossil speeies for which it cannbsp;be mistaken, the singular manner in which thenbsp;base is hollowed out giving it almost the appearance of a human ear. It is not certain whether itnbsp;was a simple leaf, or only a division of a compoundnbsp;leaf; but the want of any stalk to the base, innbsp;room of which there is the trace of what appearsnbsp;to have been a distinct disarticulation, inclines usnbsp;to the belief that the latter is the more probable ;nbsp;and if so, it must have been, when, alive, one ofnbsp;the most remarkable of its tribe, far exceeding innbsp;its dimensions any recent species.

The veins all radiate and dichotomize from the very base, and in no case appear to run togethernbsp;into a midrib; thus answering to the structure onnbsp;which the genus Cyclopteris essentially depends,nbsp;provided the leaves were simple. But if they werenbsp;compound, it would rather belong to the genusnbsp;Neuropteris. See tab. 91 A.

Builifhed by R.id^wc^ amp;-Snruy.Lond^n..Oet'^ 7833-

��

91 A

We have received this species from several different localities. The specimen figured is from Jarrow Colliery, and we have several others innbsp;nodules of carbonate of iron from the Yorkshirenbsp;Coal field. They vary in size from two inchesnbsp;and a quarter to nearly three inches in length, bynbsp;from an inch and three quarters to two inches andnbsp;a quarter in width.

Their texture seems to have been membranous, if we can judge from the very filmy and delicatenbsp;state of their impressions. The outline was rathernbsp;wavy, and the apex rounded; the base was apparently heart-shaped, and more or less oblique.nbsp;The veins are almost those of Cyclopteris ; that isnbsp;to say, they radiate from one common point, withnbsp;little or no tendency to run into a midrib; but innbsp;some species they decidedly do coalesce ; and thenbsp;sreat resemblance the leaflets bear to those of

Neuropteris auriculata, leaves scarcely any room to doubt their having belonged to a similar plant.

In fact, it is not easy to say in what respect N. ingens differs from the species just mentioned;nbsp;but we are nevertheless persuaded that they mustnbsp;have been specifically distinct, for the leaflets ofnbsp;the present plant are at least twice, and frequentlynbsp;nearly three times as large as the largest of thosenbsp;of N. auriculata.

Is it not possible that Cyclopteris ohliqua and Neuropteris ingens may both be leaflets of thenbsp;same plant, the former coming from the base, andnbsp;the latter from the sides of the divisions of thenbsp;leaves ? like the roundish, auriculated, and oblongnbsp;leaflets of Neuropteris auriculata.

91 B

CYCLOPTERIS DILATATA.

This appears to have been of a very thin and delicate texture, and of considerable size; wenbsp;possess one specimen, containing two-thirds of anbsp;leaf, which measures eight inches in breadth; itnbsp;is probably on this account that it is never foundnbsp;perfect.

The outline of this species varies from nearly orbicular to oblong, with the principal diameternbsp;parallel with the base; it has an undulated surface, and its base is closed by two deep andnbsp;equal lobes, which overlap each other. The veinsnbsp;radiate and dichotomize from their commonnbsp;point, without the slightest tendency to form anbsp;midrib.

At first sight it might be taken for C. renifonnis ; but that species does not seem to have been of sonbsp;delicate a texture, was not much more than one

third the size, and had not its base closed up by two overlapping lobes; on the contrary, its lobesnbsp;were so short, as not to meet by a considerablenbsp;distance.

IPubl^Tud. kyRidg^vay ASon.i, J/oridon. OcctlSJS

TJiNIOPTERIS MAJOR.

Found ill the shale of the Gristhorpe bed, in the Oolitic formation, near Scarborough, by Mr.nbsp;William Williamson, Jun., to whom we are obligednbsp;for an excellent drawing, and for the followingnbsp;note.

� The specimen is about five inches long, and two broad ; the midrib is strong, and has a linenbsp;upon its centre which gives it the appearance ofnbsp;having been once angular.� (This line is no doubtnbsp;the furrow that always exists upon the petioles ofnbsp;leaves, and thus shews the impression to be thatnbsp;of the upper surface.) � Running out perpendicularly from this midrib are numerous veins,nbsp;which are twice or thrice forked, first near thenbsp;middle, and again near the margin, in whichnbsp;character it differs from 7'. vittata. Some of thenbsp;veins are even four times branched. The lowernbsp;extremity of the leaf is destroyed.�

To this we would only add, that while Tceiiiop-teris vittata is hardly distinguishable in its fossil state from the Indian Aspidium Wallichianum, thenbsp;species now represented may be almost identifiednbsp;with our British Harts-tongue Fern, Scolopendriumnbsp;officinarum, which may be found in every old well,nbsp;unless indeed the base of the fossil should prove,nbsp;when discovered, to be much more different thannbsp;its apex is.

As it would be a highly interesting discovery if the identity of the fossil and recent species couldnbsp;be established, we especially recommend a searchnbsp;after more complete specimens of this plant tonbsp;our indefatigable friends at Scarborough.

Lycopodites Williamsonis. Ad. Brongn. Prodr, p. �3. Lycopodites uncifolius. Phillips' Yorkshire.

Found very plentifully in the Oolitic formation of Scarborough. Mr. Phillips mentions it both innbsp;the upper and lower Sandstone and Shale. Ournbsp;specimens are from Mr. Bean ; our drawing fromnbsp;Mr. William Williamson,�Jun., with the followingnbsp;note.

� This appears to have been a creeping plant, like our Lycopodium clavatum. The stem is frequently branched, and concealed by the base ofnbsp;the leaves, which are sessile, and of an acute falciform shape. Up the centre of each leaf there isnbsp;one, and sometimes two strongly marked ridges,nbsp;which have evidently been edges of angles. Thenbsp;leaves are placed opposite each other, and have

frequently smaller ones situated between theni. The surface of the stem is covered with scalesnbsp;apparently the base of leaves, which have lostnbsp;their points. The stems are terminated by a largenbsp;oval head, or cone, which is covered with smallnbsp;hook-like processes, similar in form to the leaflets,nbsp;but smaller. Where the bituminous substance isnbsp;destroyed, there are strongly marked rhomboidalnbsp;spaces, looking like scars. Fragments of thisnbsp;plant are very plentiful, but attached heads arenbsp;rarely met with ; the one figured is from Gristhorpenbsp;Bay.�

No modern species can be compared with this for size, especially that of the heads, which arenbsp;very much the same as the Lepidostrobi of thenbsp;coal measures, fossils which probably belonged tonbsp;similar plants.

What we find more especially remarkable in this species is, that, notwithstanding its great size,nbsp;it must have belonged to the most delicate divisionnbsp;of the genus, as is proved by the stipulee accompanying its leaves. The largest Lycopodia of thenbsp;present day have leaves without stipulae ; but innbsp;the days when the Oolitic rocks were deposited,nbsp;things must have been ordered differently.

Mr. Williamson has drawn a specimen, in which the main stem terminates in a cone; it often happens that the lateral branches also bear cones, butnbsp;in that case the former are so very short, that thenbsp;latter are almost sessile.

Pecopteris nervosa. Ad. Brmgn. Hist, des Vig�taux Fossilcs, #.94. excluding Sternberg�s Synonym.

This is evidently the same plant as is figured (but not yet described) by M. Adolphe Brongniart,nbsp;at t. 94 of his great work, under the name wenbsp;have adopted; but we cannot think the synonymnbsp;of Pecopteris bifurcata right, as that species hasnbsp;evidently veins far more wide apart, and a verynbsp;different outline ; it is, however, in all probability,nbsp;the same plant as appears at t. 95. f, 1 and 2 ofnbsp;M. Brongniart. The letter-press that refers tonbsp;these plates not having yet appeared, we are unacquainted with the motives that has led to thenbsp;combination of plants apparently so very different.

The appearance of this species calls to mind several kinds of Asplenium, but we have notnbsp;discovered any one with which it is of importance to compare it.

Surely this must be a portion of the branch of a Yew, or of some such plant. Let it only benbsp;compared with the one year old shoots of that tree,nbsp;the leaves having been stripped off, and something very like identity will be found to exist;nbsp;especially in the manner in which the leaves rannbsp;down upon the stem, and in the nature of the scarsnbsp;they left behind.

To illustrate this, we have introduced some figures of the Yew branch of different ages, whichnbsp;may also be taken as explanatory of other casesnbsp;of similar structure.

B. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;represents a very young Yew branch, withnbsp;its leaves broken off.

C. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;is the same, a little older, and with thenbsp;leaves fallen off naturally.

D. is another portion of a branch, much older; at a the bark is stripped off, so as to shew thenbsp;difference between the corticated and decorticatednbsp;surfaces.

Knorria is a genus of Count Sternberg�s, not noticed by Ad. Brongniart; for remarks uponnbsp;which, see t. 97.

S^hUfhed by Rid^way lt;t- S'jrt-^.Lond.cn-. 0ex^^S33-

We only figure it for the sake of indicating what the nature is of the fossils that appear innbsp;this state.

Collectors should never trust to specimens of such a kind as illustrative of strata, but should, innbsp;all cases, take the middle or upper ends of thenbsp;stem, in which alone that evidence can be foundnbsp;which is necessary for the determination of thenbsp;species of Calamites.

KNORR�A SELLONII.

Kiiorria Sellonii. Sternb. Flore du Monde primitif. fase. 4. pp. xxxvii. ^ 50, t. 57

This plant, in a more perfect state, with the leaves, and cortical integument nearly complete,nbsp;has been figured by Count Sternberg from thenbsp;Frederick Gallery in the coal mines of Saarbruck ;nbsp;the same author cites England, and the grauwackenbsp;of the neighbourhood of Magdebourg, as also pronbsp;ducing it.

In its more perfect state it presents a broad even surface, covered with cylindrical processes,nbsp;which are not further apart than their own diameter, or a little more. In the state now represented,nbsp;in which the bark and cylindrical processes havenbsp;altered their appearance from the wasting of the

stem before consolidation, the place of the processes is occupied by flattened projections, broke at their ends, and marked by a very shallow furrow,nbsp;which passes from the point downwards, losingnbsp;itself on the surface of the stem.

Such a specimen as this would not throw much light upon the original structure of the plant; wenbsp;therefore transcribe Count Sternberg�s account ofnbsp;those which he had examined.

� I formerly,� he observes, � described another species of this genus, under the name of Lepidolepis,nbsp;being at that time of opinion that traces of thenbsp;attachment of scaly leaves could be distinguishednbsp;upon its impression. I have, nevertheless, sincenbsp;satisfied myself not only by the examination of thenbsp;present subject (K�iorria Sellonii), but also bynbsp;others of a similar kind, that in these cases it isnbsp;not mere scars that are preserved, but real cylindrical leaves, like those now commonly met withnbsp;in succulent plants. In this case, they are partially broken. If the point of insertion were visible,nbsp;this plant would resemble a Variolaria (i. e. Sigil-larid). There was this, in particular, in thesenbsp;plants, that they were rounded at the top, like certain species of Euphorbia and Melocactus, wherenbsp;a tuft of hairs, or something of a similar kind, terminated the plant. This circumstance I have observed in a Variolaria (Sigillaria) from Saarbruck,nbsp;and on a plant of the present genus in the organicnbsp;remains of Steinhauer. There can, therefore, be

little doubt that these were really the representatives of succulent plants in the primaeval vrorld.�

The other species to which Count Sternberg refers in the preceding paragraph, formerly namednbsp;by him Lepidolepis imbricata, and now Knorrianbsp;imbricata, he had procured from the grauwacke atnbsp;Magdebourg, and from the coal mines ofOrenburgh,nbsp;on the borders of Asia. We believe we may alsonbsp;refer to that plant some remains found in the sandstone of the Ketley Coalfield, in Shropshire, for anbsp;specimen of which (numbered 12) we are indebtednbsp;to Mr. Lloyd.

The genus Knorria is passed by unnoticed by M. Adolphe Brongniart; and even th� species referred to it by Count Sternberg are uncited in thenbsp;Prodromus; we are, therefore, ignorant to whatnbsp;other genus M. Brongniart considers them reducible.

It is with Lepidodendron and Stigmaria that they have the greatest apparent relation, as far asnbsp;external characters go; but if the opinions justnbsp;quoted are well founded, Knorria must have beennbsp;extremely different from the former; while thenbsp;latter would be distinguishable by the round projecting tubercles out of which the leaves arose.nbsp;We would, therefore, preserve the genus Knorria,nbsp;and provisionally refer to it not only the two species of Count Sternberg, but also all fossil plants,nbsp;the leaves of which were in a densely arrangednbsp;spiral manner, and have left, not depressed but

projecting, scars. It is no doubt true, that, by such a character as this, plants may be combinednbsp;originally of extremely different appearance; butnbsp;we are forced to admit such characters in the present state of our science, from want of others ofnbsp;a more positive kind.

98 amp; 99.

Lepidodendron Harcourtii. Witkam in Trans, of Nat. History Soc. of Newcastle upon Tyne, March, 1832. Id. Internalnbsp;Structure of Fossil Vegetables, p.51. tt. 12, 13.

This interesting fossil occurred in the roof stone of a bed of coal worked at Hesley Heath, nearnbsp;Rothbury, in Northumberland: it is there foundnbsp;a few fathoms below a thick limestone, which isnbsp;by some considered analogous to the great limestone of Alston Moor: whether this be the casenbsp;or not, the position of the seam must be deep innbsp;the mountain limestone series. The fossils arenbsp;found partly in the coal, and partly in the roof,nbsp;which, in many cases, consists of a mass of en-crinal remains and shells, such as Products,nbsp;Melanise, amp;c., with the exterior converted intonbsp;pyrites, in contact with the coal. The fossilnbsp;is mineralized with clay iron stone and iron pyrites,nbsp;having a coating of fine coal.

It was originally found by the Rev. C. G. V. Vernon Harcourt^ Rector of Rothbury, to whosenbsp;liberality we are indebted for the inspection ofnbsp;several specimens of the beautiful internal structure which Mr. Witham has, fortunately for science, discovered to exist in it. By means of these,nbsp;of others communicated by Mr. Witham himself,nbsp;and of a portion of a stem belonging to the Yorkshire Philosophical Society, for which we arenbsp;obliged to Mr. Phillips, we have been enabled tonbsp;prepare the following account of what is, beyondnbsp;all doubt, the most remarkable discovery in thenbsp;science of Fossil Botany.

The structure of this plant has already been so carefully described by Mr. Witham, firstly, in thenbsp;Transactions of the Natural History Society ofnbsp;Newcastle upon Tyne, and, secondly, in his valuable observations upon the internal structure ofnbsp;Fossil Vegetables; and the figures that accompanynbsp;the description of this indefatigable geologist arenbsp;so perfect, as to render it unnecessary for us, onnbsp;the present occasion, to do more than select somenbsp;of the more important parts of structure for representation, referring those who wish to consultnbsp;more extensive figures to the publications justnbsp;mentioned. There are also two or three pointsnbsp;upon which we hope to be able to throw somenbsp;additional light.

The stem seems to have been from an inch and a half to two inches in diameter, and of a cylin-

drical figure, producing forks occasionally. Its surface was marked with scars, arranged in anbsp;spiral manner, having the usual rhomboidal ornbsp;oval figure of other Lepidodendra, but not sufficiently well preserved to shew precisely whatnbsp;their configuration was; they seem to have had anbsp;furrow running down their middle. Over thenbsp;whole of these is now found a layer of carbonaceous matter, which is probably foreign to thenbsp;stem itself, as it exhibits no trace of structure,nbsp;and is apparently unconnected with the tissuenbsp;which it will presently be seen that the stem stillnbsp;consists of.

When cut across and polished, the centre of the stem is frequently found converted to calcareous spar, which also has filled up irregularly anbsp;vast number of curved passages, proceeding upwards and outwards from the centre to the scarsnbsp;upon the- surface. These curved passages givenbsp;the stem, when sliced in a direction parallel tonbsp;the surface, the singularly mottled appearancenbsp;which is represented in Mr. Witham�s Plate xii.nbsp;f. 3 and 4. All the other part of the stem is hardnbsp;and black, and distinctly organized, the calcareous spar chiefly indicating the parts where thenbsp;tissue is obliterated.

When viewed with the microscope, the following-appearances present themselves. Next the surface a horizontal section shcw'-s a dense layer of quadrangular meshes, very like those in Coniferae,

with irregular circles lying among them, also similar to the fistulae of the same tribe of plants;nbsp;this dense layer of meshes passes irregularly andnbsp;insensibly into an extremely lax kind of cellularnbsp;tissue, which extends from this point to the axis,nbsp;constituting the principal mass of the stem. (Seenbsp;tab. 99. fig. 2. where a is the outside, b the inside, and c the irregular circles. A vertical section of this same part, shews that none of thenbsp;above described meshes are the mouths of tubes,nbsp;but that they are merely sections of cellular tissue,nbsp;of which only that next the outside is elongatednbsp;perceptibly in the direction of the axis. (Seenbsp;tab. 99. fig. 3, where a is the outside, and b thenbsp;inside.)

The centre of the stem, or the axis, when viewed horizontally, is found to consist of a column ofnbsp;very lax cellular tissue, the innermost part ofnbsp;which is obliterated by calcareous spar; on thenbsp;outside of this is placed a circle, consisting ofnbsp;much more compact cellular tissue, in which lie,nbsp;at nearly equal distances, and next the outside,nbsp;a considerable number of oval spaces, (Tab. 99.nbsp;fig. I. a.) composed of a fine net-work, borderednbsp;by a colourless ring, the structure of which is notnbsp;determinable. A vertical section of this partnbsp;shews that the fine net-work in the midst of thenbsp;colourless ring is the mouths of vessels havingnbsp;most distinctly a spiral structure. The appearancenbsp;of these vessels, when very highly magnified, is

given at tab. 99. fig. 4. What the colourless ring was, is not discernible from the specimens wenbsp;have examined, but in all probability it was thenbsp;tube of woody fibre, which, in recent plants, usuallynbsp;accompanies and protects the bundles of spiralnbsp;vessels. This part of the structure, Mr. Withamnbsp;does not appear to have met with in his specimens.

On the outside of the vascular sheath just described, are occasionally to be seen little oval spaces, composed of net-work like that within thenbsp;colourless rings, (see tab. 99. fig. 1. b.)\ they havenbsp;been figured at his Tab. xiii. f. 4, a, and f. 2, e,nbsp;by Mr. Witham, who considers them bundles formerly surrounding pith, (p. 53.) From theirnbsp;position, and from the irregular distance at whichnbsp;they are placed round the vascular sheath, theynbsp;were, we think, more probably the mouths ofnbsp;the vessels, which it will be presently seen exist,nbsp;in the curved passages already spoken of.

From the centre to the circumference, obliquely upwards and outwards, proceed a great multitudenbsp;of these curved passages, which evidently correspond in number to the scars of the leaves, innbsp;which they also terminate. A section of one ofnbsp;these passages, made at right angles with its linenbsp;of growth, exhibits two clusters of meshes placednbsp;one above the other, each surrounded and separated from the other by a fine and nearly obliterated net-work, which itself lies in the midst of

the coarse cellular tissue of the stem. (See tab. 99. fig. 6. a. b.) An oblique section of a passagenbsp;shews also that the clusters of meshes were thenbsp;mouths of two bundles of spiral vessels, the uppernbsp;bundle being much larger than the under, (seenbsp;tab. 99. fig. 7. a. b.)-, this is confirmed by a longitudinal section of the same part, where thenbsp;vascular structure becomes beautifully and distinctly manifest, (see tab. 99. fig. 8. a. b.); in thisnbsp;and the last case, the vessels are evidently surrounded by a sort of fibrous matter, which isnbsp;probably woody fibre, the mouths of which produced the fine and nearly obliterated net-work ofnbsp;fig. 6. Sometimes all trace of this organizationnbsp;is destroyed, and the oblique sections of the passages are partially filled with unorganized carbonaceous matter, as at tab. 99. fig. 5.

We believe the whole of the foregoing description is essentially in accordance with Mr. Witham�s observations, with the exception of thenbsp;vascular sheath described as surrounding the central cellular column or pith; a point, however, tonbsp;which great importance must be attached.

Such being the structure of this plant, we have thought it might not be entirely useless if we introduced into one of our plates an ideal view ofnbsp;its tissue restored to what may be presumed tonbsp;have been its state when growing. This will benbsp;found at tab 98. fig. 2, where the figures and letters all correspond with the same figures and

letters in tab. 99, so as to shew at once the evidence upon which the restoration has been made. Unfortunately, the vertical section next the barknbsp;is not represented quite as we could have wished,nbsp;for the diameter of the elongated cells is greater innbsp;the vertical than in the horizontal section, andnbsp;there are also some other points in which ournbsp;engraver has not been so faithful as we could havenbsp;desired. We trust, however, that the figure willnbsp;answer the purpose for which it was intended.

The next point for consideration is, how far the discovery of the internal anatomy of this plantnbsp;confirms the opinions previously entertained ofnbsp;the analogy of Lepidodendron to recent plants.

It has been generally admitted that this genus was related to Lycopodiaceae; it has even been believed to be identical with the recentnbsp;Lycopodium; and Mr. Witham considers thatnbsp;there is nothing in the structure of the presentnbsp;species that might tend to invalidate the opinion.

It is, however, no small gratification to ourselves to find, that all which we said upon the subjectnbsp;at page 19, amp;c. of our first volume, is completelynbsp;confirmed ; and that it �is not exactly likenbsp;either Coniferse or Lycopodiaceae, but that itnbsp;occupies an intermediate station between thosenbsp;two orders,� amp;c. vol. \. p. 21.

It had a central pith, it had a vascular sheath surrounding that pith, and it had fistular passagesnbsp;in its cortical integument; thus far it was Coni-

ferous. But no trace can be found of glandular woody fibre; it can scarcely be said to have hadnbsp;any wood; and it is uncertain whether it hadnbsp;bark; if it had^ the bark must be considered tonbsp;extend from the external surface to the vascularnbsp;sheath; nor is there even in recent Conifergenbsp;such distinctly marked curved passages, connecting the leaves with the vascular sheath; curvednbsp;passages, no doubt, exist in Conifer*, but theynbsp;form a very inconsiderable proportion of the vascular system.

Its vascular system was confined to the middle of the stem, and to the carved passages emanatingnbsp;from it; the stem consisted chiefly of lax cellularnbsp;tissue, which became more compact towards thenbsp;outside, and it had a very powerful communication between the bases of its leaves and the centralnbsp;vascular system ; thus far it was Lycopodiaceous.nbsp;But recent plants of the latter tribe have no fistu-lar cavities in their cortical integument: a point ofnbsp;great importance, because such cavities indicatenbsp;the presence of resinous or other secretions, whichnbsp;are never found in Lycopodiaceae; and, secondly,nbsp;the latter have no vascular sheath surrounding

pith, which is a sure sign of a dicotyledonous structure, and quite at variance with the plannbsp;upon which Lycopodiaceae are organized. In Lycopodium rigidurn the axis of the stem consists of anbsp;bundle of five or six large spiral vessels, surnbsp;rounded by four or five layers of smaller ones;

on the outside of this is a rather compact layer of cellular substance, which is connected by verynbsp;lax cellules with the cortical integument, whichnbsp;is again more compact; the same structure existsnbsp;in Lycopodium cernuum; and Mr. Witham represents a nearly similar arrangement of parts innbsp;Lycopodium clavatum. Not a trace of pith, or ofnbsp;the preparation for it, can be found.

We may, therefore, conclude that Lepidoden-dron was intermediate between Coniferae and Lycopodiaceae, constituting the type of a kind ofnbsp;structure now extinct. To Botanists, this discovery is of very high interest, as it proves that thosenbsp;systematists are right who contend for the possibility of certain chasms now existing between thenbsp;gradations of organization, being caused by thenbsp;extinction of genera, or even of whole orders;nbsp;the existence of which was necessary to completenbsp;the harmony which it is believed originally existednbsp;in the structure of all parts of the Vegetable kingdom. By meansof Lepidodendron, a better passagenbsp;is established from Flowering to Flowerless Plants,nbsp;than by either Equisetum or Cycas, or any othernbsp;known genus.

100 amp; 101

SPHENOPTERIS CRENATA,

SCHIZOPTERIS ADNASCENS

This very remarkable fossil was found in the shale of the Whitehaven Coalfield, from which itnbsp;has been obligingly communicated to us by Mr.nbsp;Williamson Peile.

It is evidently formed by the association of two distinct plants; one of which is a fern,nbsp;around the stem of which another plant, possiblynbsp;a fern also, has twisted itself. They are of totally different structure, and require to be describednbsp;separately.

By this name we would designate the principal fern in the accompanying plates. It was appa-rently a plant with a tripinnated leaf, the ultimate

segments of which had a narrow lanceolate tapering outline, and a regularly crenated or obtusely lobed margin; these segments adhered to thenbsp;rachis by the whole of their base, and did notnbsp;exceed two and a half lines in length at that part;nbsp;towards the point they became gradually smallernbsp;till they were reduced to a single lobe. Plate 100,nbsp;represents it half the natural size, and Plate 101,nbsp;its full size.

In the specimens we have examined, the veins are totally destroyed, except a faint trace of anbsp;midrib, which passes from the base to the apex ofnbsp;each segment; of lateral veins no indication cannbsp;be found.

We have referred it to the genus Sphenopteris, chiefly on account of its general resemblance tonbsp;S. Dubuissonis, from which it is distinguished bynbsp;its smaller size, and the entire crenatures, or lobesnbsp;of its segments.

To the obscure genus Schizopteris, we refer the plant that is twisted round the stem of what wenbsp;have just described. Up to the present time, nonbsp;authentic figure has appeared of the genus whichnbsp;M. Adolphe Brongniart has thus designated ; butnbsp;we presume the � Filiates crispus'� of Germar and

It may be conjectured to have been of the nature of some of the Lygodia, or rather Hyme-nophylla; and that the deeply lobed bodies,nbsp;of

which the impressions are left, were the leaves. They w^ere palmated and divided into anbsp;number of narrow segments, which sub-dividednbsp;into two or more commonly three lobes, whichnbsp;were either entire, or forked, and always sharpnbsp;pointed. No trace of veins can be discovered,nbsp;unless the delicate striae with which the wholenbsp;surface of the leaf is covered, be considered such.

In whatever way we look at this fossil, it cannot but be considered important, as indicating a cli-niate of tropical character. The only recent fernsnbsp;to which the Schizopteris can be compared, arenbsp;tropical, or nearly so ; but we have not, as far asnbsp;We know any modern instance of one fern twistingnbsp;I�ound another, although it is possible to conceivenbsp;that such a thing might happen with such plants asnbsp;Lygodium. If it did happen, it is at least certain,nbsp;that the growth of the climbing plant must havenbsp;heen as rapid as that of the species to which it isnbsp;Supposed to have been similar; and that its vegetation must have been stimulated by a climate extremely different from that of Great Britain, at thenbsp;Pi�esent day. For it must be remarked, that, innbsp;this country, a few leaves closely collected round an

Buhliptfd. by �'dffwAyi� Sons,-Londffn.Ja.n'^783^.

102

From the rich bed of fossil plants in the Oolitic formation of Gristhorpe Bay,¹ near Scarborough;nbsp;for the communication of which, we are obligednbsp;to Mr. W. Williamson, jun.

It appears to have been a species of Cycadeous plant, as far as can be made out from the remainsnbsp;that have been discovered. We refer it to thenbsp;genus Pterophyllum, because it appears to havenbsp;more relation to that than to any other; but it isnbsp;necessary that the technical character of that genus

We are under obligation to our excellent friend and cor-��spondent. Dr. Murray, of Scarborough, for many interesting specimens of the fossils found in the rich deposit of Gristhorpenbsp;His fine collection from that locality, has frequentlynbsp;^een of essential service to us.

should not be made to depend upon the form of its pinnae, but upon its veins being all of the same size,nbsp;and the segments of the leaves attached to thenbsp;midrib by their whole base.

We have nothing recent to compare it with. Mr. Williamson�s account of it is as follows :�� Thenbsp;midrib of this elegant little plant is about one-eighth of an inch in width, tapering gradually,nbsp;and is terminated by a small blunted segment.nbsp;There are some traces of longitudinal strias uponnbsp;it, but so small, as to be nearly imperceptible.nbsp;The segments are extremely regular, placed alternately, and thickly covered with very fine parallelnbsp;veins; T think they are simple, but being verynbsp;indistinct, I cannot be certain.�

103

To Mr. Williamson we are again indebted for our knowledge of this curious plant, upon whichnbsp;he makes the following remarks :�

� The stem of this plant is about one third of un inch in breadth, straight, of an equal width,nbsp;und terminated by a lanceolate segment; its surface is covered with longitudinal striae, fromnbsp;whence Mr. Phillips named it. The leaflets arenbsp;numerous, linear, broadest at their base, andnbsp;tapering to a narrow pointed apex. The veinsnbsp;^�un parallel with the edges, and are frequentlynbsp;forked, as seen in the magnified portion; at thenbsp;junction of the leaflets to the midrib, the veinsnbsp;diverge in opposite directions, as will be observed

Mr. Phillips refers it to Cycadites, but to this the forked veins offer, what we fear, is a fatal objection. It is, however, difficult to say, to whatnbsp;else it can be better compared, unless to somenbsp;ferns, such as Acvostichum alcicorne, in a fertilenbsp;state. To this, however, there is an objection;nbsp;for, while A. alcicorne evidently owes the peculiarnbsp;arrangement of its veins to an extension of a leafnbsp;in which the usual forked structure exists, this fossil can scarcely be considered otherwise than asnbsp;representing the general character of all the leavesnbsp;of the plant.

It is not impossible that it may have belonged to some Palm ; but as there is no kind of evidencenbsp;that this was so, we prefer placing it in a provisional genus, for which we venture to proposenbsp;the name of Ctenis, in reference to its pectinatednbsp;character. To this we would refer all leaves having the general character of Cycadeae, but withnbsp;the veins connected by forks, or transverse bars.

104

First described by Mr. Phillips, from the upper sandstone, shale, and coal, of the Oolitic formation,nbsp;in Yorkshire. Our drawing was communicatednbsp;by Mr. Williamson, jun., to whom we have sonbsp;often had to express our obligations.

It was evidently a pinnatifid leaf, belonging to some exogenous plant; but to what recent species it may be analogous, it would be idle to inquire, so common are its form, and the arrangement of its veins. It might have belonged to anbsp;tropical or a European genus, to a tree or a herb,nbsp;to a Sowthistle or a Scrophularia�in short, tonbsp;plants of the most opposite qualities and structure.

placed it, be taken as the receptacle of all sorts of leaves, it will prove so heterogeneous an assemblage,nbsp;as to cease to possess any precise character. Although it seems hopeless to determine the exactnbsp;analogy of the greater part of the Monocotyle-donous and Dicotyledonous plants of which thenbsp;leaves alone can be found ; yet important geological objects may be obtained by such a nomenclature of leaves as shall not violate naturalnbsp;affinities, and shall enable them to be accuratelynbsp;identified. We would, therefore, confine the termnbsp;PhyHites to those Monocotyledonous leaves innbsp;which the principal veins converge at both the basenbsp;and apex. For doubtful Dicotyledonous leaves ofnbsp;common reticulated structure, such as this, thenbsp;name Dictyophyllum might be advantageouslynbsp;employed ; and other names might be invented fornbsp;leaves having remarkable peculiarities in thenbsp;arrangement of their veins.

105

From Gristhorpe Bay, communicated by Mr. W. Williamson, jun., with the following description :�nbsp;The rachis is nearly smooth, broad at thenbsp;base, and tapering gradually towards the apex.nbsp;The pinnae are oblong-lanceolate, pinnated, andnbsp;tapering gradually from the base upwards, untilnbsp;they end in a very narrow point. The leaflets arenbsp;oblong, and attached obliquely by a part of theirnbsp;base, with a slightly wavy margin. The centralnbsp;vein of the leaflets is very strong near the base,nbsp;but disappears before reaching the apex ; the central veins are forked, curved, and set obliquelynbsp;Upon the central one. Towards the upper part ofnbsp;the leaf, the leaflets become much more acute, andnbsp;the leaf itself is terminated by segments, like thosenbsp;of the lower pinnae.�

� At first sight, it would seem as if the frag-inents now represented, were parts of two diffe-

106

Found at Gristhorpe Bay, in a nodule of ironstone, by Dr. Murray and Mr. Williamson, sen., of Scarborough.

It appears to have been a very beautiful species, and was, probably, of a larger size than is usual innbsp;the Oolitic formations. Mr. Williamson, jun., tonbsp;whom we are indebted for the drawing, describesnbsp;the main stalk as being a quarter of an inch wide,nbsp;and deeply furrowed in an irregular manner. Thenbsp;leaflets are about an inch and a half in length, ofnbsp;a narrow lanceolate figure, set on the rachis bynbsp;their whole base. The secondary veins are planted nearly perpendicularly upon the midrib, andnbsp;fork with great uniformity.

In shale, from the A�hitehaven Coal-field, communicated by Mr. Williamson Peile. We have been favoured with fine specimens from thenbsp;Natural History Society of Newcastle.

Those we have examined, have very much the appearance of some modern Pteris, and, probably,nbsp;belonged to a plant not very different. Allnbsp;that remain are fragments of what seem to havenbsp;been divisions of a tripinnate leaf of considerablenbsp;size, the final segments of which had a long linearnbsp;lanceolate figure, with about 20 or more lobes onnbsp;each side. These lobes are at the bottom, of annbsp;ovate oblong form, attached by their whole basenbsp;to the rachis, a little curved forwards, and verynbsp;slightly wavy at the margin. Their veins arenbsp;badly preserved ; but it would seem as if therenbsp;had been a perfect midrib, upon which forkednbsp;veins were planted almost perpendicularly.

108

This occurs in extremely indistinct impressions, of which nothing, but the outline of the leavesnbsp;remains ; they were numerous and regularly verti-cillate ; their figure was exceedingly narrow, andnbsp;there is no perceptible trace of any kind of vein.nbsp;The stem which bore them has, also, disappeared,nbsp;leaving not a vestige even of its surface.

The genus Asterophyllites is so vague, that it will comprehend any fine-leaved verticillate plants, thenbsp;bases of whose leaves do not run into an annularnbsp;rim. For this reason we refer this fossil to it,nbsp;although it is not improbable that it may be essentially different from those we have already described under the same generic title. It would benbsp;a bootless inquiry to attempt to discover a modernnbsp;analogue ; for so totally destitute of positive information are the remains, that five hundred plants

might be named, to all which they would be extremely similar, and yet, perhaps, essentially distinct from all.

The three broader linear leaves which seem to rise from the base of the specimen, have nothingnbsp;to do with the species, but are the remains of somenbsp;Foacites, which have, evidently, been in contactnbsp;with the Asterophyllites itself, at the time it wasnbsp;imbedded.

109

SPHENOPTElllS OBOVATA.

In shale, from the Newcastle Coal-field ; drawn from a specimen presented for this work by thenbsp;late T. Allan, Esq., Lauriston Castle, Edinburgh.

It occurs ill small terminal fragments, which are arranged as if they were the lateral divisionsnbsp;of a tripinnate leaf. The rachis is, in all cases,nbsp;nearly destroyed, nothing of it being left beyondnbsp;a deeply sunken furrow. The final pinnm havenbsp;an oblong lanceolate figure, and are divided intonbsp;about six obovate segments. No midrib can benbsp;found on these segments, nor any other kind ofnbsp;veins beyond a number of very fine parallel striaenbsp;which occasionally fork.

110

A FOSSIL AQUATIC ROOT.

A rare fossil, found in the low main of Felling Colliery, whence our specimen was procured;nbsp;and, also, according to Mr. Artis, in El-se-carnbsp;Colliery.

It is not noticed, as far as we have discovered, in M. Adolphe Brongniart�s Prodromus; and wenbsp;almost doubt the propriety of publishing it in thisnbsp;work, because there can be little doubt that it isnbsp;one of those remains, the identification of whichnbsp;can never lead to any useful result. If, indeed, itnbsp;were a portion of the stem of a plant, as Mr. Artisnbsp;supposed, it would have as great a claim to reception among the extinct species of the vegetablenbsp;kingdom, as any of the others we have published.nbsp;But if it is, as we hope to show, nothing but the

remains of a mere root, then it will be impossible to refer it to any class, order, genus, or species,nbsp;and, consequently, its recognition will be uselessnbsp;in the identification of strata ; for it, of what willnbsp;not be distinguishable from it, may be expectednbsp;in any geological formation of whatever age.

We have, however, thought it as well to admit a figure of the impression, firstly, for the sake ofnbsp;explaining what we conceive to be its real nature;nbsp;and, secondly, because it seems to throw somenbsp;light upon the circumstances under which the coalnbsp;measures were formed.

If this fossil were the impression of the stem and leaves of any plant, there are two points ofnbsp;structure which would certainly be discoverablenbsp;in a perfect specimen. In the first place, thenbsp;leaves would be of nearly one size and figurenbsp;throughout the branch; and, secondly, they wouldnbsp;be inserted upon the stem with great symmetrynbsp;and regularity. As no instance of any departurenbsp;from Ihis rule can be adduced among recent plants,nbsp;to whatever part of the vegetable kingdom theynbsp;may belong, we are justified in considering it,nbsp;also, absolute in what regards extinct races ; and,nbsp;for physiological reasons, which all botanists understand, the same law is of necessity true of branches;nbsp;they also ramify upon a uniform symmetrical plannbsp;from which there can be no real departure. Thenbsp;subdivisions of this fossil are, on the contrary,nbsp;irregular in the highest degree ; no two can be

found precisely alike ; they are of many different sizes; and they spring from the surface of thenbsp;central part in a most confused and crowdednbsp;manner; nothing even approaching to symmetry,nbsp;either of form or subdivision, can be detectednbsp;among them. The fossil, therefore, consists neithernbsp;of branches nor leaves.

It is among roots, and especially those of water plants that its analogue is to be sought. Irregularity and want of symmetry are the constantnbsp;characteristics of roots; and that not only whennbsp;they have to insinuate themselves among earth,nbsp;but, also, when they develope in water, or the stillnbsp;more unresisting medium of air. Let, for example,nbsp;the roots of a melon, growing in water, or of anynbsp;tree or herb, whose roots have accidentally foundnbsp;their way into a tank, or wet ditch, be comparednbsp;with this, and their identity will be too strikingnbsp;to be overlooked even by the most carelessnbsp;observer. We, therefore, give the fossil no name ;nbsp;but merely leave its representation as an explanation of its real nature, for the information of thosenbsp;who had not previously considered the matter.

If, however, its name must be erased from the species of the Fossil Flora, it is not the less interesting in another point of view. Its presence maynbsp;be considered one of the strong arguments derived from the consideration of organic remains, innbsp;favour of the theory that the plants which formednbsp;coal were either deposited where they grew, or at

least were not floated from any considerable distance. It is well known that however capable the stems of plants may be of resisting the action ofnbsp;water, young roots, and especially those of aquatic plants, are so brittle, that but little violence isnbsp;required to break them in pieces ; and if they arenbsp;exposed for any considerable time to the action ofnbsp;a body of agitated water, they would be totallynbsp;destroyed. This, on the contrary, is so nearly perfect, that we may reasonably conclude that it hadnbsp;suffered but little disturbance before it was imbedded in the shale in which its remains have now,nbsp;after so many thousand ages, been discovered.

PINNULARIA CAPILLACEA

From the Leebotwood coal pit, whence specimens have been communicated by Professor Buckland.

It occurs in small fragments consisting of a linear central part or axis, from which at regularnbsp;distances, on opposite sides, spring capillary appendages divided in a pinnated manner. Thenbsp;segments of these appendages, exhibit no tracenbsp;whatever of leaves, nor in fact any appearancenbsp;except that of very narrow dark lines, placednbsp;either in opposition or alternately. At the basenbsp;of each opposite pair of appendages the centralnbsp;part is slightly tumid.

The kind of considerations that lead us to reject the last subject from the list of fossil species, induces us to add this to the number already described, for it will be found to possess all the characters which we have shewn to indicate stems andnbsp;leaves. What we have called the central part wenbsp;consider the stem, and the appendages leaves ;

ieaves, however, which it may be sup[)osed were submersed, if their thinness and want of apparentnbsp;veins are taken into account.

Had this, instead of the last, been called Myrio-phyllites, nothing could have been objected to the name ; for it is so like the submersed part of My-riophyllum spicatum, or rather of some of the Indiannbsp;and South American species of the genus, even tonbsp;the slight swelling of the stem at the insertion ofnbsp;the leaves, that we do not see how any botanistnbsp;could prove them to be even different. Nevertheless, as we are quite sensible of the danger ofnbsp;speaking with confidence as to the certainty ofnbsp;such identifications, founded merely upon sinnlaritynbsp;in external appearance, and especially as the namenbsp;Myriophyllites has already been applied to anbsp;totally different fossil, we prefer coining a newnbsp;and unexceptionable generic title, which may include any similar remains that shall hereafter benbsp;discovered.

From an observation of Count Sternberg in figuring the aquatic leaves of Myriophyllum, it appears as if he expected that the fossil genus Spht-nophyllum might produce such ; it is more probablenbsp;that Annularia and Asterophyllites consist of thenbsp;aerial portions of plants whose submersed parts arenbsp;referable to Pinnularia; but this is, in the presentnbsp;state of our knowledge, mere conjecture.

112

The difficulty of deterpiining the species of Lepidodendron, with anything like accuracy, seemsnbsp;wholly insurmountable, until we shall have morenbsp;positive evidence as to the manner in which thenbsp;scars of the leaves were changed in appearance bynbsp;the age of a specimen. For this reason we shallnbsp;figure whatever illustrative cases we may meetnbsp;with, whether they belong to species already described in this work, or not.

Among the plates of Count Sternberg, is one that represents four states, of what he calls Lepidodendron dichotomum, of which one appears to M.nbsp;Adolphe Brongniart, altogether different from thenbsp;other three. The single figure is supposed tonbsp;represent a species already published at tab. 4, ofnbsp;this work, under the name of L. Sternbergii; and

the other three are referred to a doubtful species, thought to be even a distinct genus, called, L.nbsp;laricinum ; to this our L. dilatatum, tab. 7, fig. 2,nbsp;approaches very nearly.

The plant now published, is, we presume, the L. laricinum. It differs from L. Sternbergii, only innbsp;the more truly rhomboidal figure of the scars of thenbsp;young specimens ; and, perhaps, in the greaternbsp;size of the leaves. It shows the different statesnbsp;in which portions of the same species may be expected to occur; and, together with an interestingnbsp;series of specimens which has been put into ournbsp;hands, by Mr. Prestwich, leads to the opinionnbsp;that L. Sternbergii, and L. laricinum, are identical,nbsp;as Count Sternberg considered them. Fig. A. andnbsp;C. are from Hebburn Colliery, and are preserved innbsp;the Museum of Sir John Trevelyan, Bart., ofnbsp;Wallington ; at A, the leaves are still adhering tonbsp;the stem; in C, they have all fallen away, thenbsp;scars are altered in appearance, and the dimensionsnbsp;are much augmented. Fig. B, is from Colebrooknbsp;Dale, where it was collected by Mr. Prestwich ;nbsp;it shows, in a most satisfactory manner, the origin,nbsp;size, and form of the leaves, which are, it can nonbsp;longer be doubted, what we call Lepidophylla.

113

LEPIDODENDRON SELAGINOIDES,

This represents L. selaginoides in a more characteristic state than the figure before published, in vol. 1. t. 12., and agrees much better with Countnbsp;Sternberg�s plate. It would seem to have beennbsp;a much branched species, with acute short leaves,nbsp;closely pressed to the stem; in which circumstance, and its much smaller size, it differs principally from L. Sternbergii.

In the specimen before us, the extremities of the branches have all had their bark and leavesnbsp;stripped off by violence; and from the appearance of the remains of the stripped branches, itnbsp;seems quite clear that Lepidodendron had a bark.

which separated very freely from the woody centre of the stem, just as a modern Silver fir might be deprived of its bark; and hence that, as we havenbsp;already demonstrated, at tab; 98 and 99, thenbsp;genus was more nearly related to Coniferee, thannbsp;to Lycopodiacese; in the latter of which it wouldnbsp;be impracticable to separate the bark from thenbsp;woody axis, without much tearing, or even without destroying the branch itself.

114

The only specimen we have seen of this remarkable plant is that from which our figure was taken. It consists of some fragments of a stem, the jointsnbsp;of which were three or more inches wide, and verynbsp;nearly three inches long. At the articulationsnbsp;appear the remains of a sheath, divided into a verynbsp;great number of tapering teeth, which are apparently three-quarters of an inch long, and about anbsp;line and a half asunder, and present traces of anbsp;central rib. The surface of the stem is, in somenbsp;places, perfectly smooth, without the slightest tracenbsp;of furrows, or scars; hut in other places it presentsnbsp;the appearance of transverse wrinkles.

tinct genus of fossil plants; and as it resembles Hippuris, as much as it can be said to resemblenbsp;anything now living, the name Hippurites will, perhaps, be considered not inapplicable;

115

This fine species appears to be undescribed. It approaches to the Sph. ohtusiloba and trifoliolata,nbsp;in some respects, but it is twice their size, andnbsp;different in the form of the leaflets.

It was a species with a flexuose, furrowed, slender stalk, whence, at intervals of about three inches,nbsp;diverged branches, of which the lower were fromnbsp;five to six inches long, and those near the uppernbsp;end about two inches long. Each of the lowernbsp;branches was subdivided into branchlets, arisingnbsp;regularly, in a pinnated manner, at intervals ofnbsp;about an inch. The branchlets themselves werenbsp;pinnated, and bore from three to seven leaflets ofnbsp;a rounded wedge-shaped figure, rather dilated atnbsp;the upper end, and tapering gradually into a verynbsp;short slender stalk. Towards the upper end ofnbsp;the leaf, the leaflets, instead of being distinct

and forming trifoliate or pinnated branchletSj run together, and become three or five lobed ; and thisnbsp;happens not only near the extremity of the leaf,nbsp;but also towards the middle and base, giving annbsp;irregular and unsymmetrical air to the whole; thenbsp;circumstance does not occur, we believe, in recentnbsp;ferns, but we have noticed indications of it in othernbsp;specimens of fossil ones.

In a specimen of another species now before us, there are two branches that set off from nearly opposite sides of the stalk, afewinches below the point ofnbsp;the leaf; of these branches, that on the right handnbsp;has all its divisions three-lobed, while the divisionsnbsp;of the left hand are pinnated, with from five tonbsp;seven leaflets.

That this plant was very nearly allied to some of the Adiantums, resembling our native A. Capil-lus Veneris, can hardly be doubted ; but, as usual,nbsp;all attempts at identification have been unsuccessful. The nearest approach to it with which wenbsp;are acquainted, is in the common Adiantum ofnbsp;Chile, which is probably the A. concinnum of Humboldt and Bonpland; but that species differs innbsp;having longer and slenderer stalks to the leaflets,nbsp;which are also lobed and crenated.

^ubt^ In nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;B.ullt;iwn.y,Zimdort..April 73S4-.

116

Among the many singular characters that seem peculiar to the Coal Flora, is that of producingnbsp;trees, the branches of which do not grow all roundnbsp;the stem, as in most modern species, but springnbsp;up in parallel lines, so that the scar of one leafnbsp;is exactly over that which preceded it, and belownbsp;that which succeeded. This regular superpositionnbsp;of leaves, which is known in only a few succulentnbsp;plants of the present day, must have been, in thenbsp;ages when coal plants flourished, a very commonnbsp;occurrence; we find it in Bothrodendron, in Uloden-dron, in this genus, and in all the species of Sigil-laria; a proportion that is remarkably large as compared with the whole vegetation of the same period.nbsp;If we exclude ferns, we shall find that about eightynbsp;species of Arborescent Dicotyledonous Coal plantsnbsp;have been met with, of which nearly half are Lepl-

dodendra, or extinct Coniferce, and the remaining half consists entirely of species having the characternbsp;of their leaves growing in parallel series.

The species now represented is an additional instance of the same kind of structure. Its remains consist of broken stems, which had a dotted,nbsp;roughish bark, under which appears a surface,nbsp;ploughed with irregular twisted furrows, whichnbsp;intercept each other without order. On one sidenbsp;of the stem grew leaves, that must have been ofnbsp;very considerable size, if we are to judge by thenbsp;breadth of the scars they have left behind them.nbsp;In the middle of the scars are deep discolourednbsp;impressions, resembling two parallel horse shoes,nbsp;(a, a, a,) which it may be presumed indicate thenbsp;figure of the woody system of the leaf stalk.nbsp;Beyond this nothing can be learned. From suchnbsp;materials, it would be useless to build any theorynbsp;of the original nature of the plant, especially asnbsp;we have no recent species with which to comparenbsp;it. The large size of the impressions, which arenbsp;thought to indicate the woody system of thenbsp;leaf-stalks, recals tree ferns to the mind, butnbsp;neither the arrangement of the leaves, nor thenbsp;surface of the stem, appears to favour the idea thatnbsp;this can have been even related to the Fern Tribe,

The whole stem of this plant was extracted from the shale, and showed that there were only two rowsnbsp;of scars running up opposite sides of the stem.

117

It was upon such remains as this that Mr. Artis formed the genus Megaphyton, describing it asnbsp;having an arborescent, simple stem, furrowed longitudinally, with a coarsely fibrous surface. Hisnbsp;specimen was larger, and, in some respects, morenbsp;perfect than this, but the form of the scars of thenbsp;leaves was less distinctly defined. It is also certain, that the stem is not furrowed, but, like thenbsp;last, has simply two rows of scars on opposite sidesnbsp;of the stem.

whatever the nature of the last may have been, admits of no doubt. It differs, however, specifically in the form of the scars, which do not presentnbsp;the figure of a double horseshoe in the middle,nbsp;but has only one simple curve (a, a, a,) whichnbsp;reaches from one side to the other of the scar.

For what reason Mr. Artis called this fron-dosum he does not state, but as the leaves are unknown, and as they would probably, if discovered, be found to be of a similar nature in bothnbsp;species, we trust we shall be pardoned for alteringnbsp;the specific name.

M. Adolphe Brongniart does not notice the genws Megaphyton; we are, therefore, ignorant ofnbsp;his ideas as to its analogy. Until something morenbsp;shall be discovered concerning it, the character bynbsp;which it will be known must be the horseshoenbsp;figure of the scars, arranged in parallel rows. In anbsp;classification of that part of the Coal Flora whichnbsp;contains such things, the genera will be the following;�

1. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;SiGiLLARiA. Stem furrowed. Scars of leavesnbsp;small, round, much narrower than the ridges ofnbsp;the stem.

2. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Favulabia. Stem furrowed. Scars ofnbsp;leaves small, square, as broad as the ridges of thenbsp;stem.

Scars of leaves very large, of a horse shoe figure, much narrower than the ridges.

5. Ulodendron. Stem not furrowed, covered with rhomboidal marks. Scars of cones circular.

118

Lycopodiolithes elegans. Ib. Tent. Fl, primord. viii. Lepidodendron elegans. Ad, Brong. Prodr. p. 85.

Our beautiful specimens of this species consist of remarkably well preserved casts of a large stemnbsp;and several branches still attached to it. The scarsnbsp;had the acute and regular rhomboidal form of thosenbsp;of L. Sternbergii, to which this seems to be nearlynbsp;allied. It differs in its leaves being much smallernbsp;and more delicate, and in the plant having hadnbsp;more slender and graceful shoots. In both speciesnbsp;the leaves curve away from the stem, by whichnbsp;circumstance they are essentially distinguishednbsp;from L. selaginoides, whose leaves are closelynbsp;pressed to the stem.

We are unable to point out any satisfactory marks by which the old stems of L. Sternbergiinbsp;and ekgans can be distinguished, unless it be thenbsp;greater breadth of the scars of the former species;nbsp;a character which we fear will be found too indefinite to be applied with much certainty.

So much has now been said of the genus Lepi-dodendron in this work, and so very imperfect an idea is, we suspect, entertained of the appearancenbsp;of those recent coniferous plants to which it isnbsp;compared, that we shall endeavour to completenbsp;the illustration of the genus, as far as it is in ournbsp;power, by devoting our next plate to the representation of some of those existing species which havenbsp;the greatest apparent relation to it, and which arenbsp;unknown in Europe, except in the Herbaria ofnbsp;Botanists. It will be seen how imperfect the ideasnbsp;of those must be, who have no other notion ofnbsp;coniferous plants than what can be drawn fromnbsp;the pines and firs of European woods and gardens.

119

For the drawing and account of this, of which we have seen no specimen, we are indebted to ournbsp;indefatigable correspondent, Mr. William Williamson, Jun. He says,

�At first sight, this plant appears to be the same as the Pecopteris Polypodioides, fig^ured innbsp;a former number, but on closer examination, thenbsp;outer edges of the segments are found to be undulated ; in the centre of each undulation beingnbsp;placed the sorus, or mass of fructification. Fromnbsp;the middle of the segments, veins or nerves strikenbsp;out, in rather an oblique direction, which are bifurcated ; one point extending to the sorus, and thenbsp;other in an opposite direction; both being againnbsp;bifurcated before they reach the outer margin.nbsp;Although they vary considerably, I have foundnbsp;this difference in the arrangement of the veins tonbsp;be a strong distinction between the smooth andnbsp;undulated edged species ; especially by an exami-voL. ir.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;I

nation of the specimens in the choice collection of Dr. Murray, which is always open for the benefitnbsp;of science. Sometimes one point appears to passnbsp;in a single line through the sorus, and the other isnbsp;twice, or thrice branched, but some part of thenbsp;nerve always extending to the sorus. There is sonbsp;little of the stem remaining, that I have been unablenbsp;to discover any peculiar characters ; but in the segments, the black carbonaceous matter is well preserved. When a fragment of shale containing onenbsp;of these plants is split, the black substance formingnbsp;the sori and midribs, adheres to the opposite sidenbsp;to the one bearing the impression, which occasionsnbsp;the white spots. This specimen was found by raynbsp;father in Gristhorpe Bay.�

120

PECOPTERIS UNDANS.

Of this we have seen no specimens. Mr. Williamson, Jim. has communicated the following-memorandum with the drawing we now publisli.

� This is one of the most curious plants I have seen found in this neighbourhood. Thenbsp;stem runs in a zigzag manner, and has a linenbsp;down each side like a Neuropteris. The segments are about two-thirds of an inch long, andnbsp;rather more than one-eighth in breadth, having anbsp;strong midrib which disappears at the apex. Innbsp;endeavouring to trace the veins, I accidentally-destroyed a portion of the black carbonaceousnbsp;matter ; which brought a very singular characternbsp;to light: a. represents the plant as it lay in the stone,nbsp;shewing the upper surface which was curiously'nbsp;undulated ; when this part was removed, it leftnbsp;traces of the under surface upon the matrix, withnbsp;two rows of minute sori in the hollow of each undulation, running from the midrib to the sinus of

104

the more intelligible if you consider h. to be an imaginary view of a horizontal section parallelnbsp;with the midrib, cutting through three of the undulations, and shewing the position of the sori innbsp;the hollows.�

Not having seen this plant we are ignorant whether its veins follow the lines of sori, or arenbsp;otherwise arranged; we therefore place the plantnbsp;in Pecopteris with which it agrees in habit.

C nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;U

121

SOLENITES MURRAYANA.

� The plant now sent is from the rich deposit of Gristhorpe Bay, near Scarborough, occurring in thenbsp;shale of the upper sandstone, belonging to thenbsp;Oolitic formation ; and is so slightly mineralizednbsp;as to retian flexibility, and even in a certain degreenbsp;combustibility. The plant appears to me, most analogous to a Fern, and to the genus Isoetes, to whichnbsp;it is allied by its habit, by the closely matted statenbsp;of the leaves, by the half flattened structure of thosenbsp;leaves, and by the absence of every trace of leaf-sheaths, or fistular and jointed stems which mightnbsp;have referred it to Graminese. Still it can hardlynbsp;be our Isoetes lacustris.

� By the bye, I have detected in several of our fossil Oolitic vegetables as slightly mineralised in

106

Upon examining the specimens we found them to consist of very narrow linear leaves, apparentlynbsp;arising from a tufted base, and either adheringnbsp;loosely to their matrix, as represented at jig. A,nbsp;and leaving a faint impression behind when separated, or collected into firm flexible masses, havingnbsp;little or no adhesion to the mud in which they werenbsp;imbedded. They were opaque, slightly but notnbsp;very regularly striated, and taper-pointed, as seennbsp;at the magnified figure at B. Beyond this striatednbsp;appearance nothing could be observed of their organization to confirm or invalidate Dr. Murray�snbsp;suspicion that they were related to Isoetes.

Considering, however, their flexible state, it occurred to us, that if it were possible to separatenbsp;the tissue from the carbonaceous matter, by somenbsp;powerful solvent, the transparency of the specimensnbsp;might be restored and some insight obtained intonbsp;their anatomical structure. Accordingly, uponnbsp;plunging them into boiling nitric acid, in a fewnbsp;moments a dark crust peeled away in flakes, andnbsp;presently the centre part became amber colourednbsp;and transparent; when washed and placed beneathnbsp;a microscope it was found that all the foreignnbsp;matter, which had rendered the specimen opaque,nbsp;was separated, and that the parts were becomenbsp;little less conspicuous than in a fresh specimen.nbsp;The leaves had become inflated with air, collected

into spaces of unequal size, as shewn at the magnified figures C and J); a transverse section of them formed an oval, acute at both ends, nonbsp;traces of streaks were left, and the sides were evidently composed of prismatical cellular tissue, asnbsp;shewn at JE, to which internally some soft spongynbsp;matter adhered, which was readily removed withnbsp;the end of a dissecting knife, or by frequent brushing with a camel�s hair pencil. Not the slightestnbsp;trace could be found of veins or of markings innbsp;any way analogous to them.

The recent plants with which this could be compared, besides Isoetes, are chiefly Pilularia, Grasses, Cyperaceas, and certain Rushes.

From the three latter it differs in the absence of all trace of veins, which, as they constitute thenbsp;hardest part of the tissue, might be expected to benbsp;the longest preserved in a fossil state, and the mostnbsp;capable of resisting the action of nitric acid; certain species, both of Isolepis and of Juncus, havenbsp;indeed the centre of their leaves filled with a spongynbsp;matter, and some of them have the form whichnbsp;appears to have existed in this fossil; but in allnbsp;cases the exterior coat of their leaf consists of hardnbsp;cellular tissue, connecting still harder parallel simple veins. Therefore, it is not with them that wenbsp;are to look for an analogy.

The leaves of both Isoetes and Pilularia, are destitute of veins, and their form, as well as the cellular tissue constituting the shell of their fistular

108

leaves, is something like those of the fossil. But in the first place, they are divided internally into distinctnbsp;rows of air-cells, Isoetes into four, and Pilularianbsp;into five or six ; secondly, those air-cells are cutnbsp;off from each other by transverse partitions, whichnbsp;give the leaves, when viewed by transmitted light,nbsp;their well known barred appearance; nothing ofnbsp;this sort can be found in the fossil, unless the stri�nbsp;seen on it before exposure to nitric acid, whichnbsp;agree very well with what one finds in Pilularia,nbsp;should be considered as traces of the edges of thenbsp;rows of air-cells, and the manner in which air collects in the fossil after having been acted upon bynbsp;the acid, be thought to indicate the existence ofnbsp;transverse partitions. As the partitions in the inside of the leaves of Isoetes and Pilularia, both thosenbsp;which are parallel with the leaf, and those whichnbsp;are transverse to it, are naturally of a soft spongynbsp;nature, they may certainly have been decayed before the plant was finally imbedded, and in thatnbsp;case would be undiscernible now. Of this, however, we must observe there is no evidence.

But supposing that this fossil is admitted as more nearly allied to Isoetes and Pilularia, than to anynbsp;thing else now known, which we confess appearsnbsp;to be the fact; it must nevertheless be remarked, thatnbsp;it was distinct as to species at least; for in Isoetes thenbsp;leaves are channelled, or concave and convex, withnbsp;a sharp keel, and in Pilularia they are almostnbsp;cylindrical, with the upper side deeply grooved.

109

and a thicklsh edge on each side of the groove, while in the fossil they seem to be what is callednbsp;ancipital, that is to say, doubly convex with twonbsp;sharp edges.

We therefore distinguish it as a peculiar genus, for which the name Solenites has been suggested,nbsp;by its fistular structure. Dr. Murray is fully entitled to have it bear his name in addition, in commemoration of his having been both the discoverernbsp;of the fossil, and the determiner of its affinity.

A. represents Solenites Murrayana as attached to a mass of mud ; B. is one of the leaves brokennbsp;off near the point, and magnified ; C. a portion ofnbsp;the same, as inflated after having been steeped innbsp;boiling nitric acid ; B. the same, viewed from thenbsp;edge ; and E. a highly magnified view of the tissue.

Since the above was written, we have received a communication upon the same subject from Mr.nbsp;Williamson, Jun., who informs us that the plantnbsp;is common at Gristhorpe, covering the surface ofnbsp;the seams of shale, in every direction. A drawing, which this gentleman has sent us, representsnbsp;a sort of knob from which the leaves originate.nbsp;This, so far as it shews any thing, is conformablenbsp;to the structure of Isoctes.

� nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;^^-:i

i'^'t

t-T

I�ab. by 6S^efs�!-^Ri4g*vays.Zond2}rJ..'fuiy. /d34--

122

From the coal mine at Jarrow, where it has only occurred in fragments such as are here represented.

They retain no trace of veins, nor of any other structure that can lead to a comparison of themnbsp;with other ferns, except their outline ; from whichnbsp;we conjecture that the species is closely allied tonbsp;Mr. Brongniart�s Pecopteris muricata, from whichnbsp;in fact it appears to differ principally in havingnbsp;the segments of the pinnules usually cut into fromnbsp;3 to 5 lobes, instead of being entire. The letter-press of P. muricata not having yet reached thisnbsp;country, we are not acquainted with the degree ofnbsp;variation to which that species is subject; it maynbsp;almost be doubted whether this ought to be considered any thing more than a strongly-marked variety of it.

123

Communicated from the coal measures near Oldham, by Mr. Francis Looney of Manchester.

It appears to have been a remarkably delicate Fern, very much like some of the tropical species ofnbsp;Hymenophyllum. or Trichomanes; but whether thisnbsp;is a portion only of a broad leaf, or the principalnbsp;part of a small one, it is difficult to judge. Fromnbsp;the slender character of the rachis we should benbsp;disposed to imagine that it was of the latter nature.

The rachis was extremely narrow and slender, slightly wavy, and triply pinnated, the divisions ofnbsp;it becoming more and more delicate, till the lastnbsp;are almost capillary. Each of the first lateralnbsp;divisions of the leaf has a broadly ovate taperingnbsp;outline, and at its lower part extends beyond thosenbsp;which are next it; their sub-divisions have thenbsp;same outline, and are in like manner so closenbsp;together, as to overlie each other near their base ;

the pinnules are deeply pinnatifid, have an ovate figure, and their lobes are cut near their base intonbsp;five, but near their point into three linear, oblong,nbsp;acute segments, which are sometimes two-lobed. Nonbsp;trace of veins is left upon any part of the specimen.

The species to which this approaches most nearly are Sp. elegans, gracilis, and tenella. Of these thenbsp;latter, according to Mrs. Taylor�s figure in Brong-niart�s Histoire des V�g�taux Fossiles, is only twicenbsp;pinnated, and the segments of its pinnules are represented as all entire ; we must, however, remarknbsp;that a comparison of specimens of the two speciesnbsp;appears absolutely necessary in order to establishnbsp;any certain distinction between them. Sp. elegansnbsp;is twice or thrice as large a plant, with obtuse lobesnbsp;to its pinnules ; and Sp. gradlis (from which wenbsp;cannot distinguish Sp. Duhuissonis), has the lobesnbsp;of the pinnules, both shorter and broader, and onlynbsp;slightly three-toothed.

124

Casuarinites eqnisetiforniis, Schloth. Flora der Vorwelt, t. 1. f. 1. t. 2.f. 3.

Bornia equisetiformis, Slernb. Tent. Fl. Prim. p. 28. Asterophyllites equisetiformis, Ad. Brongn. prodr. p. 159.

First described by Von Schlotheim from the coal measures of Manebach and Mandfleck; recently communicated to us by Mr.. Conway fromnbsp;the mines of Blackwood in Monmouthshire.

Its stem appears, from the account of Von Schlotheim to vary in thickness from a line and half to half an inch, according to its age. It must, therefore, have been a plant of considerable size, of wdiichnbsp;the portions now' figured are mere fragments.

We have seen no specimen ; but it appears to be of the same nature as A. longifolia and A. gali-oides already figured in this work.

Like those species it has been considered analogous to Hippuris, or plants of that nature; but we perceive no evidence of this be3^ond the verti-cillate leaves, which prove absolutely nothing, except that the plant was of the Dicotyledonous ornbsp;Exogenous class.

It is very much to be desired that specimens of this should be found in fructification ; for untilnbsp;they have been procured it would be useless tonbsp;speculate upon its modern analogies.

125

For our knowledge of these singularly well preserved remains of what appears to have been the cone of a Zamia, we are indebted to Professornbsp;Henslow, who most obligingly furnished us withnbsp;the accompanying drawing, and the followingnbsp;notes upon it.

�This cone was discovered in cleaning out a pond about four miles from Deal, on the road tonbsp;Canterbury. From the general appearance of thenbsp;material of which it is composed, I should think itnbsp;must have come originally from the green sandstone formation, and have been accidentally transported to the spot where it was found. The pos-

sessor, the Rev. C. Yate, Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, can give me no further account. Upon comparing it with the figure of anbsp;cone of Zamia in Richard�s � Coniferes and Cyca-dees,� plate 26, it appears to bear a close resemblance to it in structure, excepting that the scalesnbsp;are longer in the fossil, and curve upwards,nbsp;in the manner represented in the accompanyingnbsp;sketch.

� I suspect that the cavity which exhibits the internal structure, andnbsp;shews us so well the arrangement ofnbsp;the seeds, must have existed whilstnbsp;the specimen was still recent, andnbsp;that it has not been made since itnbsp;was found. Perhaps itresulted fromnbsp;the attacks of some preadamite woodpecker. The circumstances whichnbsp;strike me most in this structure,nbsp;are the slender axis (when compared with Richard�s fig.), and thenbsp;inclination of the seeds conseqnentnbsp;on the form of the scales. The diagrams are intended to elucidate the position of thenbsp;scales upon the cone, according to Braun�s views.¹

See an explanation of these views in the forthcoming Report of the British Association for the advancement of science for the yearnbsp;1833.

The scales on the diagram to the left (above) are so numbered as to indicate the spiral line whichnbsp;winds round the axis, and on which the scales arenbsp;arranged in succession, and as the thirtieth scalenbsp;comes vertically over the first, after eleven revolutions of the spiral, the divergence is equal tonbsp;i* of a circle ; that is to say, the scale No. 2, is � ofnbsp;360�, or some what more than 136�, angular distance,nbsp;from scale No. 1, and so on of the rest, referringnbsp;all the coils of the spiral to a plane perpendicularnbsp;to the axis. The figure below to the right indicates the position of the scales on such an hypothesis.�

To these excellent remarks we can have nothing to add except by way of illustration.

The specimen is in light yellowish grey sandstone, which takes a ferruginous appearance when moistened; it is four inches and three-quarters long,nbsp;and almost twm and a quarter in diameter. At itsnbsp;upper end the scales contract in size, become irregular in outline, and finally surround a small irregular hexagon. At its lower end is a shallow holenbsp;rather more than a quarter of an inch in diameter,nbsp;from which the stalk was pulled out; allowing fornbsp;the usual quantity of woody matter forming a sheathnbsp;round the axis of a cone of this sort, and comparingnbsp;it with the depth from the surface of the cone tonbsp;that part of the centre which is actually laid bare,nbsp;it w'ould appear that the central part or axis, from

120

On one side of the specimen near the base is an opening down to the axis, almost two inches long,nbsp;and an inch and half wide ; by means of which wenbsp;obtain a distinct view of the internal structure ; itnbsp;shews us that the scales curved upwards from thenbsp;axis, thickening gradually, as represented in Professor Henslow�s sketch, towards their point, wherenbsp;they are flat and hexagonal, but not by any meansnbsp;peltate. Near the axis, on the left side, are thenbsp;cavities left by five ovate seeds, each nearly halfnbsp;an inch long, which have been removed ; theirnbsp;pointed ends are next the axis. On the oppositenbsp;side are four similar cavities, in one of which isnbsp;some appearance of the fragment of a seed ; belownbsp;them is a seed in situ, with a small uneven perforation in its side, and lower still is just visible thenbsp;thin edge of another seed ; so that these seedsnbsp;would seem to have had an ovate, somewhat compressed figure, and a prominent edge on each side.nbsp;In the opinion that this hole was made when thenbsp;cone was fresh we entirely concur; but whethernbsp;by a preadamite woodpecker, squirrel, or mouse,nbsp;is more than we find evidence to demonstrate.

That it belonged to some Zamia seems to be shewn in every point of its structure, and will benbsp;the more apparent if the fossil is compared withnbsp;the following reduced figures of an American Zamia

' If Professor Lehmann�s statement be correct, that the scales of all the American Zamias have a hexagonal apex, and those of all the African Zamias anbsp;rhomboidal apex, this fossil will then be of the formnbsp;now peculiar to the new world ; which is not thenbsp;least interesting circumstance connected with it.

To the observation by Professor Henslow, that the scales are longer, and more curved upwards,nbsp;than in the figures given by Richard, we may addnbsp;that they also are less distinctly peltate; but thesenbsp;circumstances can scarcely be considered to offernbsp;any objection to its being a Zamia, all other pointsnbsp;so nearly coinciding. We possess no materialsnbsp;whatever for determining how far this may be thenbsp;case in some of the many modern species that havenbsp;not been figured ; but it can hardly be considerednbsp;of more than specific importance.

That this may have belonged to the Greensand formation is likely enough, considering the greatnbsp;abundance of the leaves of Cycadese in the uppernbsp;beds of Oolites, and also that remains of a plant ofnbsp;similar habit, the Cycadites Nilsoni, has been foundnbsp;in the lower chalk of Sconen. How different fromnbsp;its present state must have been that of Europe atnbsp;the time when the Greensand was deposited, willnbsp;be manifest from the account given by Mr. Ecklonnbsp;of the district in which he found the principal partnbsp;of the Zamias of South Africa.

They are not met with at Cape Town, where they would be exposed to the cold winds from the

southern polar regions, but first appear far in the interior of the country, in the land of the Gaffers,nbsp;where the common Cape Flora of Proteas andnbsp;Heaths is replaced by strikingly different races ofnbsp;plants. They prefer mountainous and wooded, ornbsp;bushy country, following the ranges of hills, butnbsp;not straggling into the plains. They are generallynbsp;met with in rocky places, almost 2000 feet abovenbsp;the level of the sea, higher than the region ofnbsp;Mimosas, and surrounded by bushes of arborescentnbsp;succulent plants, Rhamnese, Celastrinese, andnbsp;shrubby Leguminous species.

ITatiiral Size.

126

Pecopteris Williamsonis. Ad. �rongn.prodr. p. 57, Hist, des V�g�taux Fossiles, vol. p. 324, t. 110,�. 1.2.

Found not uncommonly in the upper sandstone of the Oolitic formation, near Scarborough.

Mr. Adolphe Brongniart has figured a fine specimen in a barren state ; we are enabled by thenbsp;kindness of Mr. Dunn of Scarborough to representnbsp;it in fructification, a state in which it seems tonbsp;be not uncommon.

It appears to have been a bipinnated species of moderate size, with a rachis which is often thickernbsp;than is usual in most Ferns of the same size. Itsnbsp;pinnae are narrow, long, and placed on the rachisnbsp;very obliquely. The pinnules, are oblong, obtuse,nbsp;curved slightly upward, attached to the petiole bynbsp;their whole base, and separated from each other

by about half their own diameter; in a barren state they have a slender wavy distinct midrib,nbsp;from which proceed many very oblique veins,nbsp;which are once or twice dichotomous; in a fertilenbsp;state, no veins are to be discovered, but the wholenbsp;of the under surface is covered by a multitude ofnbsp;small projecting circular spots, which it is to benbsp;supposed were the sori, or clusters of fructification.

From the complete manner in which the under side of the leaf is covered with fructification, itnbsp;may be presumed that the elevated circular spotsnbsp;were thecce, and not indusia of the nature of those innbsp;Aspidium; for in recent Ferns it is only the generanbsp;with naked thecse, such as Acrostichum in particular, in which the veins and midrib are completelynbsp;concealed by the fructification ; in plants like Aspi-dimn, the midrib at least is distinct, however muchnbsp;the veins may be hidden. We therefore conjecture that this Pecopteris Williamsonis belonged tonbsp;the genus Acrostichum, to which the disposition ofnbsp;the veins offers no objection.

127

VARIOUS RECENT CONIFERiE.

We lately promised to give some views of recent Coniferse, whicli might serve to illustrate suchnbsp;fossils as Botanists refer to that order, although theynbsp;have no apparent resemblance to the species withnbsp;which the European is familiar.

For this purpose we have selected such as are represented in the accompanying plate.

A. Araucaria excelsa, or the Norfolk Island Pine, serves to shew how difficult it is to decide uponnbsp;the identity of the fossil fragments which we occasionally meet with. The left hand figure is anbsp;branch of this plant when it becomes old; and thenbsp;right hand figure is a similar branch produced bynbsp;the plant when it is young; both taken from thenbsp;monograph of Mr. Lambert on the genus Pinus.nbsp;No one could have suspected that such exceedinglynbsp;different objects as these two could merely benbsp;young and old specimens of the same species.

B. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Cunninghamia sinensis; illusti'ates such leavesnbsp;as Lepidophyllum; and may be compared with somenbsp;of the broad-leaved Lepidodendra.

C. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Dacrydium cupressinum, a large tree from 50nbsp;to 100 feet high, has altogether the appearance ofnbsp;some of the fossils referred to Lycopodiacece.

D. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;and E. Two undescribed species of Callitrisnbsp;from Van Diemen�s Land, are not unlike some ofnbsp;the things referred to the genus Fucoides.

128

We are indebted to the kindness of Professor Buckland for the drawings from which the accompanying plate has been prepared. The uppernbsp;fossil is from the Lias at Membury, near Axmin-ster; the lower is from the same formation atnbsp;Polden Hill, near Bridgewater in Somersetshire.nbsp;The specimens themselves we have not seen.

It was probably a simply pinnated plant, with a thickish petiole. The leaflets were oblong, obtuse,nbsp;flat, a little curved forwards into a falcate form^'nbsp;and auricled at their base, on the side nearest thenbsp;point. They were attached to the petiole by thatnbsp;half of their base, which is not auricled, and werenbsp;inserted alternately with each other. Midrib theynbsp;had none; their veins were all of equal size,nbsp;originating in the base, curving right and left nearnbsp;the sides, running straight in the middle, andnbsp;forking as much as is necessary to fill the whole

At first sight it resembles a Fern so closely, that one would scarcely doubt its being one ; but uponnbsp;a closer examination a circumstance will be detectednbsp;which will throw some doubt upon the subject.nbsp;All recent Ferns, with a pinnated structure have, asnbsp;far as we have observed, either a distinct midrib tonbsp;eac h leaflet,or, at least, such an arrangement ofnbsp;the veins, as gives the appearance of a midrib ; andnbsp;we believe it is, in fact, only in Adiantums and thenbsp;Hymenophyllous section of recent Ferns, that anbsp;midrib is absent, whether the leaf is pinnated ornbsp;not. But here the arrangement of the veins isnbsp;such, that not the faintest trace of any thing like anbsp;midrib is discernible.

Even in fossil Ferns, or what are so called, it is only in the genus Odontopteris that such veins asnbsp;those of the fossil before us are characteristic ; butnbsp;in that genus the leaves are bipinnated, and thenbsp;leaflets grow to the stalk by their whole base, whilenbsp;in this they adhere by only a portion of their base,nbsp;the anterior half being free and auricled.

Our fossil then is not only doubtful as to its genus, but even as to its affinity, for its veins are notnbsp;exactly those of Ferns, and its external form is notnbsp;exactly that of Odontopteris.

We find, however, a new red sandstone plant, placed by Adolphe Brongniart in A^cwropfem, undernbsp;the name of A^. Dvfresnoii, with which this accords

in its veins and mode of division ; but as we cannot consider this species a true Neuropteris, for thenbsp;reasons we have assigned, and as we are now acquainted with at least three distinct plants, whichnbsp;agree in the peculiarities just adverted to, wenbsp;propose to form them into a new genus, to be callednbsp;Otopteris, in allusion to the auricle (ovs) withnbsp;which the leaflets are always furnished.�See Tab.nbsp;132.

129

rSTROBILITES BUCKLANDII.

From specimens belonging to Miss Bennett, the accompanying drawings were prepared for Dr.nbsp;Buckland, to whom we are indebted for permissionnbsp;to publish them in this work.

They appear to have been cones, having a slender axis (a.^nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;whole face of which was

covered with processes, which at the only remaining surface of the cone have now the appearance of scales. The axis is entirely gone, and the specimens themselves are crushed and broken, as if theynbsp;had remained in water till they were rotten, andnbsp;had then been suddenly exposed to some violentnbsp;action, which broke them in pieces.

On the present surface of the fossil nothing can be traced except the scaly appearance; but it is tonbsp;he observed, that on both specimens the supposed

scales curve hack from the only end of the cone which is visible ; on which account we conjecturenbsp;that end to have been the base, for if it had beennbsp;the apex the scales would rather have converged.nbsp;At first sight it would seem as if these scales represented the true surface of the cone ; but when wenbsp;consider the extremely small space which intervenes between the axis (a.) and the surface, on thenbsp;denuded side, and the length of the organs whichnbsp;evidently grow on the opposite side, we find ourselves unable to account for the total disappearancenbsp;of corresponding organs on the denuded side,nbsp;except upon the supposition that upon that side thenbsp;principal part of the cone has been broken away.nbsp;It would, therefore, appear as if the scales whichnbsp;now remain upon the denuded side, are the basesnbsp;of bodies, the upper ends of which are left at c and d.

In the fractured parts, about half way between the axis and the surface of the cone, a number ofnbsp;lozenge-shaped cups (c. c.) are visible, with theirnbsp;concavities turned towards the axis ; their marginsnbsp;have a broken appearance, and^ were apparentlynbsp;continuous with the part which actually grew tonbsp;the axis. It is to be presumed the cups are thenbsp;remains of the apex of the cell of a pericarpium.

The parts next the surface of the cone, forming the upper end of the supposed pericarpium, arenbsp;four-cornered and wedge-shaped, but their pointsnbsp;are so buried in the matrix of the fossil that theynbsp;cannot be made out. At places {d. No. 2.) thin

plates seem interposed between these wedge-shaped bodies, but we find no evidence to show whethernbsp;such plates are organic, or mere interpositions ofnbsp;earthy matter.

From the present state of the cones one might imagine that they were originally of an oblongnbsp;figure; but if our conjecture, that the apparent surface is not the real surface, be well founded, theynbsp;must have been nearly spherical.

Such is all that we can collect from the remains before us ; scanty as the information is, it seems tonbsp;shew that the fossil was of a spheroidal figure, andnbsp;consisted of an axis upon which was planted anbsp;number of wedge-shaped, four-cornered, one-cellednbsp;pericarpia, the upper end of which was solid, andnbsp;the lower gradually thinned away into a base,nbsp;which, when the cell was broken off, resemblednbsp;a scale. Whether real scales were interposednbsp;between the pericarpia is uncertain.

It does not appear to us that such information is sufficient to enable a Botanist to determine the affinity of this fossil satisfactorily. That it was not anbsp;Fir cone, is rendered probable by the ready separation of the thick four-cornered apex of the pericarpianbsp;from the cell, analogous to which we know nothingnbsp;in Coniferoe. For even in Araucaria, in which thenbsp;seed is very large, and terminated by a broad scale,nbsp;to the base of which it adheres (^See Foss. FI. t, 87),nbsp;there is no such thickening of the upper end asnbsp;We find in the pericarpium of the fossil; in fact

the absence of any distinct trace of a predominance of scales, is not only against its relationship to thenbsp;Fir Tribe, but also to CycadecB and ProteacecB.

It is more probable that it was related to some such order as Pandanete or Artocarpece. Thenbsp;great objection to the latter is the thickness of thenbsp;ends of the pericarpia, and the apparent absence ofnbsp;bracteal scales. Such objections do not apply tonbsp;Pandanece, the fruit of which is spheroidal, andnbsp;consists in like manner of pericarpia, often with anbsp;thickened wedge-shaped apex, planted upon annbsp;axis destitute of bracteal scales, and originallynbsp;one-celled, although often collected into parcels ;nbsp;and it is to this family of recent plants, that wenbsp;should be inclined to refer this, if we were obligednbsp;to give a positive opinion. But for the present wenbsp;prefer leaving it in the provisional genus Strobilites,nbsp;in the hope that the daily multiplying evidencenbsp;upon this subject will soon enable us to ascertainnbsp;its nature in a more satisfactory manner.

130

Like Bothrodendron this plant has branches (?) which readily disarticulated with the stem.nbsp;All that has been seen of it is in the form ofnbsp;circular depressions about four-tenths of an inchnbsp;in diameter, arranged in whorls. Its leaves, andnbsp;the surface of its stem, are quite unknown.nbsp;What it may have been it would be uselessnbsp;under such circumstances even to conjecture;nbsp;but as it appears totally distinct as a genus, fromnbsp;all published fossils, we have given it a name bynbsp;which it may be called. We have another specimen from the coal measures of what seems to'nbsp;be a smaller species (Cyclocladia minor), thenbsp;diameter of whose scars does not exceed five-twentieths of an inch, but we do not remark anynbsp;further difference.

131

Sphenopteris Williamsonis. Ad. Brong. Hist, des Veg. Foss. vol. 1, page 177, t. 49, fig. 6, 7, 8.

The accompanying plate represents finer specimens of this species, than Mr. Adolphe Brong-niart has figured. The drawings were communicated by our indefatigable correspondent, Mr. Williamson, Jun., from the Oolitic depositnbsp;at Gristhorpe Bay, near Scarborough, wherenbsp;the species is rare.

The pinnules are narrowly wedge-shaped, truncated, often two-lobed, and placed in anbsp;somewhat irregular manner; they often appearnbsp;two-parted to their very base, each divisionnbsp;being lobed almost in a fan-shaped manner.

Our upper figure differs a little from the lower in having shorter and more numerously lobednbsp;pinnules, which are moreover sometimes confluent ; but as they are otherwise extremelynbsp;similar, are found together, and not unfrequentlynbsp;upon the same stone, we agree with Mr. Williamson, and Adolphe Brongniart, in consideringnbsp;them mere varieties of one species.

Like other Sphenophylla this resembles the modern species of Trichomanes, but no one cannbsp;be named with which it is worth comparing it.

132

OTOPTERIS ACUMINATA.

From the shale of Gristhorpe, near Scarborough, whence our drawing has been communicated by Mr. Williamson, Jun. The upper and lower figures are from different plants, butnbsp;appear to represent the same species.

This is so very like Otopteris obtusa, figured at plate 128, that it would be superfluous tonbsp;describe it. In fact, it differs in nothing exceptnbsp;its leaflets being much longer, more taper-pointed, and acute, instead of being rounded.

Mr. Williamson has remarked to us that this is in many respects very like Cyclopteris Beaniinbsp;(tab. 44, vol. 1); and upon reconsidering thatnbsp;plant, now that we have become acquainted withnbsp;this species and O. obtusa, we find it necessarynbsp;to abandon the view we took of the structure ofnbsp;that species, and to consider it a pinnated plantnbsp;of the same genus with these. It is not impro-

142

bable that Otopteris will have to be reinforced with Neuropteris Dufresnoii; but of this we arenbsp;uncertain, having seen no specimens. In thenbsp;meanwhile the generic and specific charactersnbsp;of Otopteris may be stated thus�

Leaf pinnated. Leaflets originating obliquely from the side of the leaf-stalk, auricled, attachednbsp;by about half their base, destitute of all trace ofnbsp;midrib. Veins of equal size, very closely arranged, diverging from their point of origin,nbsp;and dividing dichotomously at an exceedinglynbsp;acute angle.

1. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Otopteris oitusa. Leaflets narrow, oblong, falcate,nbsp;very obtuse.�From the Lias. Plate cxxviii.

2. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Otopteris acuminata. Leaflets oblong-lanceolate,nbsp;acuminate, slightly falcate.�Oolite. Plate cxxxii.

3. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Otopteris Beanii. Leaflets roundish-oblong,nbsp;somewhat lozenge-shaped, very unequal sided.�Oolite.

Syn. Neuropteris Dufresnoii. Ad. Brong. Hist. v. � p. 246, t. 74,/. 4; and 5 ?

133

A thick, blunt, faintly striated, jointed stem, something like that of a Calamite, covered herenbsp;and there with the remains of a thin carbonaceousnbsp;layer of what may have been bark, and bearing anbsp;multitude of extremely fine thread-like long processes, which it is to be presumed were leaves, arenbsp;all that we know of this fossil; which we place innbsp;the genus AsterophyHites, simply because it accordsnbsp;with the verbal character of that heterogeneousnbsp;assemblage.

It looks more like a gigantic Equisetum than any thing modern we are acquainted with, but innbsp;reality it possesses no character which enables anbsp;Botanist to form an opinion about it. All that cannbsp;be safely said concerning it is that it is a new formnbsp;in the Flora of the Coal measures.

134

P, Whitbiensis. Ad. Brong. prodr. p. 57. Hist, des Veg, Foss. vol. \.p. 321, t. 109,/.2,3, 4.

� This interesting and beautiful plant was found in a nodule of argillaceous ironstone, from thenbsp;lower shale at Clough ton, near Scarborough.nbsp;Like most of our Ferns, the stem, which is thenbsp;same thickness in its whole extent, has a depression in its centre, which is also visible on its smallernbsp;branchlets. The leaflets are disposed alternatelynbsp;in a remarkably regular manner : are of a curved,nbsp;falcate form, very acute, and attached by the wholenbsp;of the base. Their margins are entire. The midribs are strong; rising distinctly from the centrenbsp;of each pinna, and reaching nearly to the apex ofnbsp;the leaflets. The veins are forked, springing anbsp;little obliquely from the midrib. The carbonaceous

matter of the stems and branchlets is decomposed, and its situation occupied by the white calcareo-aluminous substance so frequent in the iron nodules.nbsp;This substance is never found in the shale itself,nbsp;but invariably in the ironstone, if accompanied bynbsp;vegetable impressions. I believe it has beennbsp;described under the head � Scarburgite, � andnbsp;ranked as a mineral. This plant approaches verynbsp;near to the Pecopteris insignis (Fossil Flora, t. 106),nbsp;and, I think, forms a connecting link between thatnbsp;plant and P. denticulata (Neuropteris ligata. Fossilnbsp;Flora, t. 69). It wants the long leaflets of thenbsp;former, and the dentate ones of the latter, butnbsp;diflers from both in the pinnae being opposite instead of alternate.�

The foregoing extract from a letter sent us with the accompanying drawing, in May last, by Mr.nbsp;Williamson, jun., contains all that we are able tonbsp;state concerning the structure of this plant. It is,nbsp;no doubt, nearly allied to the two species alreadynbsp;referred to, but it is essentially distinguished fromnbsp;both by the characters correctly pointed out bynbsp;Mr. Williamson.

It is more nearly allied to Pecopteris nebbensis and P. Whitbiensis, especially to the latter. P.nbsp;nebbensis, from the oolitic formation of the islandnbsp;of Bornholm, in the Baltic, as far as can be ascertained from the fragments figured by Brongniart,nbsp;differs in nothing except its leaflets being rathernbsp;closer, and obtuse instead of taper-pointed j the

veins are represented and described exactly as they are found in this specimen; and it appears to usnbsp;to be only a slight variety. With regard to P.nbsp;Whitbknsis, figured by Brongniart from the lowernbsp;oolite of Whitby and Scarborough, the only differences we discover between it and our plant consist in the pinnae of that species being sometimesnbsp;alternate, and in the veins of the lower leafletsnbsp;being twice forked, neither of which was remarkednbsp;in Mr. Williamson�s specimens. To these differences, however, we cannot attach any importance,nbsp;and we must consider this the same as P. Whit-biensis, of which P. nebbensis is a variety.

135

PINUS PRIM.EVA.

For tlie discovery of this we are indebted to Gilbert Flesher, Esq. of Towcester, who found onenbsp;specimen in the stone pits at Burcott Wood, nearnbsp;that place, and another, which was presented to thenbsp;Marquess of Chandos, in Livingstone stone pits.nbsp;Dr. Buckland informs us that the formation belongsnbsp;to the Inferior Oolite.

This we regard as the nearest approach to the modern European form of vegetation in the rocksnbsp;of such high antiquity as those of the Oolite ; fornbsp;after a careful examination of it in different directions, we have come to the conclusion that it hasnbsp;no characters to distinguish it from a modernnbsp;Pinus.

It is a cone, which at the time of its deposit had lost its seeds, and had its scales wide apart, likenbsp;those of a Scotch Fir cone, which has been lying

150

about for some months exposed to weather. Wet earthy matter insinuated itself beneath the scales,nbsp;filled up all the cavity beneath them, and at thenbsp;same time, by moistening them, relaxed their tissue,nbsp;and closed them back again, so as to restore thenbsp;cone to its original shape. The earthy matter thusnbsp;formed plates interposed between the scales, andnbsp;when the latter, which we must suppose werenbsp;originally decayed at their points, were brokennbsp;away by the separation of the cone from its bed,nbsp;projected beyond the scales in the form of a hardnbsp;earthy border to each scale (jig. A. a a).

The specimen we are describing is nine-tenths of an inch long, of an oblong regular figure. It isnbsp;composed of scales six deep, and six round, thenbsp;ends of which are rounded, and have a transversenbsp;lozenge form ; their surface is finely punctured innbsp;consequence of the cellular substance being laidnbsp;bare by the rotting away of the cuticle and extremenbsp;parts. Each scale is dilated at its extremity, andnbsp;gradually thins away to the lengthened axisnbsp;(jig. B.) of which no trace remains.

The only points in this description at variance with the structure of a recent Pine cone, are firstly,nbsp;the small size of the fossil ; this is botanically ofnbsp;only specific importance; and secondly, the roundednbsp;ends of the scales. In most modern Pines the endnbsp;of the scales is distinctly and sharply angular; butnbsp;Pinus Strobus has no angles at the extremity ofnbsp;its scales, and from the worn state of those of the

fossil it is most likely that the angles would have crumbled away had there ever been any.

We therefore consider it a true Pinus. That it cannot be referred to any other genus of Coniferse,nbsp;to which it bears external resemblance, is easilynbsp;shewn. Abies, which, in the form of the Larch,nbsp;agrees with this in the size of its cones, has scalesnbsp;without thickened extremities. Taxodium, thenbsp;points of whose scales are lozenge-shaped, andnbsp;which agrees with it in the size of its cones, has nonbsp;perceptible axis to its fruit, but all its scales springnbsp;from a central point. Voltzia, which, from itsnbsp;station in the New Red Sandstone, one would naturally compare with it, has all its scales distinctlynbsp;3-lobed ; and we may add, that this latter circumstance also distinguishes it at once from Alrms,nbsp;whose woody cones, when full ripe, are as large asnbsp;that of the fossil.

136

Communicated by Dr. Buckland from the Wealden formation at Yarenland, in the Isle ofnbsp;Wight, where it was found by Mr. John Smith,nbsp;by whom it was presented to the Oxfordnbsp;Museum, along with a great number of verynbsp;large bones of Iguanodon from the same locality.

The cones appear to have been something more than two inches long, but as their base isnbsp;lost we cannot be certain of the precise dimensions ; now that they are pressed nearly flat theynbsp;are an inch and half across; they are regularlynbsp;oblong, and rounded at the extremity. Theirnbsp;surface is covered with deep black, rather irregular, transversely lozenge-shaped scales, whichnbsp;are changed to a brittle carbonaceous matter.nbsp;Upon cutting through one of these cones, thenbsp;internal structure, although slightly, is still sufficiently retained to shew that there were numer-

154

ous seeds lying below the thickened scales at a considerable distance from a thick axis. Thesenbsp;are shewn at a, a, a, in the lower figure. Nothing can be made of their relation to the scales,nbsp;except that they are placed immediately belownbsp;the thickened ends of the latter.

This circumstance disposes of the affinity of the plant which bore these cones to Coni-ferae, for in all genera of that order the seeds arenbsp;next the axis of the cone. And the same pointnbsp;seems to establish their relation to Zamia, tonbsp;which genus we see no reason why they shouldnbsp;not be positively referred : especially consideringnbsp;the existence of other remains of such plants innbsp;rocks of a similar age to that of the Wealdennbsp;clay.

137

Communicated by Dr. Buckland, who believes it to be from the Greensand, near Lyme Regis.nbsp;It had been washed out of the cliff and rolled tonbsp;a pebble by the waves on the Dresent shore.

The cone is rather more than two inches and a half long, but was probably longer, for it hasnbsp;been so worn down by constant friction, that itsnbsp;very axis is cut into, and the seeds of the lowernbsp;part of the cone are laid bare in consequence of thenbsp;scales that protected them being ground away.nbsp;Under these circumstances it must not be expectednbsp;that the external appearance of the fossil is muchnbsp;like what it was when fresh.

Its scales are very broad, rounded, and quite thin at the points; near the axis they are thicker,nbsp;and apparently consisted of a woody central plate,nbsp;deeply covered with a corky tissue, which gavenbsp;way to the pressure of the seeds, forming niches fornbsp;their reception.

156

The seeds are so perfectly shewn in a longitudinal section (fig. 2), that not only is their form ascertained to be oval, and their situation at thenbsp;base of the scales, but in one instance their verynbsp;embryo may be perceived lying in the midst ofnbsp;albumen. This has been overlooked by our artist,nbsp;but is plainly visible near the base of one of thenbsp;halves into which the cone has been cut.

As the position of the seeds near the base of the scales, in connection with other characters, shewsnbsp;this to be Coniferous, and as Abies is distinguishednbsp;from Pinus by the thinness of the ends of thenbsp;scales, we have no hesitation about placing this innbsp;the former genus, of which it is the second fossilnbsp;species that has been discovered. To the other,nbsp;named A. laricoides by Adolphe Brongniart, nonbsp;locality is assigned.

That such a genus should exist in the Greensand, will be by no means improbable if the beds atnbsp;Titcschen, at Heidelburg, Quedlinburg, and Blankenburg, containing the leaves of Dicotyledonousnbsp;trees, are correctly referred to that formation.

138

We trust to be pardoned for republishing this plant now that we have procured tolerably completenbsp;specimens; that which was represented at Platenbsp;48, of our first volume, having been taken fromnbsp;very imperfect fragments.

The impression before us is about a foot long, and comprehends a considerable portion of thenbsp;upper part either of an entire leaf, or of one of thenbsp;lateral divisions of a thrice pinnated leaf of considerable size; one of the pinnae only and a fewnbsp;fragments, are shewn in our plate.

The pinnae were set on their rachis at intervals of about an inch and a half; becoming closer towards

the extremity ; a line drawn from point to point of their pinnules would form an ovate-lanceolate acuminate figure, about four inches long, and one inchnbsp;and three-quarters wide in the broadest part.

The pinnules arelinear-lanceolate, taper-pointed, pinnatifid, and sessile, gradually shortening towardsnbsp;the point of the pinna, till the latter becomesnbsp;itself pinnatifid only, and finally only serrated.nbsp;From their convexity they must have been of anbsp;thick leathery texture.

The lobes of the pinnules are short, ovate, undivided, and obtuse, with a slight depressed rib in the middle, which vanishes before it reaches the point,nbsp;and a very few almost invisible diverging veins ;nbsp;the former are convex above, and distinctly concavenbsp;beneat h, where, however, w^e do not find the slightestnbsp;trace of fructification.

We find no published species to which this has a sufficiently close relation to be wmrth comparingnbsp;with it.

139

Professor Phillips has been so obliging as to communicate this with the following note.

� A new species of Calamites from the upper series of the Yorkshire Coal-field. It was found bynbsp;my friend, the Rev. W. Richardson of Ferrybridge,nbsp;in the sandstone rock of Hound Hill, near Pontefract, in 1828, and is still in his possession. Whennbsp;we visited the quarry together, it was interesting tonbsp;remark, that though in general the Ferns and othernbsp;delicate plants are rarely found in open-grainednbsp;gritstones, fronds of Pecopteris, stems of Halonia,nbsp;fruits reminding us at least of some of the Palmse,nbsp;Lepidodendra, Calamites, and other plants, werenbsp;entombed together in this rock.�

It is different from any species that has yet been met with, on account of its distinct whorlsnbsp;of large deep scars, which represent the points of

attaclimeiit of so many branches. This discovery will probably be found to assist us very much innbsp;forming an opinion upon the real nature of thisnbsp;singular genus, whenever we shall succeed innbsp;finding a clue to the right understanding of whatnbsp;such puzzles as Calamites, Sigillaria, and Stigmarianbsp;really were.

140

For a drawing of this very distinct species of Tree Fernr- stem, we are indebted to Professornbsp;Phillips, who communicated it with the followingnbsp;note.

� This is the plaster cast of a fossil stem from Camerton Colliery in Somersetshire, where thenbsp;specimen was, I believe, found in the year 1800.nbsp;It was, I think, in the possession of the late C. J.nbsp;Harford, Esq. a friend of the late Rev. J. Townsendnbsp;of Pewsey (author of a well known geological work,nbsp;embodying many of Mr. W. Smith�s early views)nbsp;and of the late Rev. Benjamin Richardson of Farley,nbsp;in whose collection this plaster cast was preserved.nbsp;It was given to me by Mrs. Richardson in 1833.nbsp;I consider it to be the stem of a Tree Fern, differentnbsp;probably from any yet published. I may remarknbsp;that I have never seen any fossil stem whichnbsp;appeared to possess the character of a Tree Fern

�No particular markings are observable in the cast between the cicatrices, but the interveningnbsp;spaces appear nearly smooth. The cicatricialnbsp;markings are not all similar, and I find on somenbsp;recent Tree Ferns considerable variation in thisnbsp;respect, ainsing apparently from the singular rupture of the vessels, amp;c.

� The cast includes probably the greater part of the breadth of the plant; it is of an oval figure innbsp;the cross section, in consequence of compression.�

It is obviously distinct from C. primcsva, figured at tab. 42, and these together with the little Cau-lopteris gracilis, published at tab. 141 of the present number, form the only Tree Fern stems we yetnbsp;have met with in the Coal Measures.

141

An extremely rare fossil, belonging to the Ketley Coal-field. The only specimen we have seen wasnbsp;communicated to us by Mr. Prestwich, Jun., � fromnbsp;the shale of the Pinny Iron-stone measure, at thenbsp;Hay-pits, Madeley; it was found associated withnbsp;large quantities of marine shells.� It also existsnbsp;in the collection of Mr. Austin of Madeley.

Our specimen is a hollow cylinder, marked internally with deep and distinct longitudinal fissures, about half an inch long, alternating with eachnbsp;other, and piercing the whole thickness of thenbsp;cylinder, so that where the latter is broken acrossnbsp;it is separated into lobes of unequal width, as isnbsp;shewn in our figure. Externally the surface isnbsp;covered irregularly with elevated lines, whichnbsp;appear to be the remains of fibres that were attachednbsp;firmly to the surface ; it is also pierced here andnbsp;there with fissures which communicate with thenbsp;inside.

We know of nothing among recent plants to which this can be compared except a slender Fern-stem ; with which we are disposed to identify it.

In all Tree Ferns the scars disappear towards the lower part of the stem, where their place is occupiednbsp;by a layer of entangled fibres; so that this, if anbsp;Fern stem, must have been the lower end of one.

The cylinder of which the trunk of a Tree Fern consists, is composed of a number of irregular lobes,nbsp;which are the bases of the leaves, adhering to eachnbsp;other by their sides; in this specimen the fissuresnbsp;may be considered the lines of contact of such bases.nbsp;We do not, however, know any recent Fern in whichnbsp;the bases of the leaves adhere to each other sonbsp;slightly as to leave passages betw'een them ; but innbsp;Dkksonia arlorea, the internal furrows are so deepnbsp;that this nearly happens.

Each base of a Fern leaf, consists of an external coating of a hard texture, and of a softer substancenbsp;in which a number of sinuous plates are arranged.nbsp;It often happens that the soft substance shrinks awaynbsp;from the hard outer case, thus leaving a spacenbsp;between the two; precisely the same thing seemsnbsp;to have happened in this fossil (see fig. 2).

Upon the whole we regard it as tolerably certain that this was the base of a slender Fern-stem ; andnbsp;upon this supposition we especially recommend itnbsp;to the consideration of those who occupy themselvesnbsp;with the study of the economy of recent Fern-trunks. If we are not greatly mistaken, it is calculated to throw no inconsiderable degree of lightnbsp;upon what has hitherto been a very obscure subject.

142 A

Communicated by Mr. Prestwich, Jun., from the Pinny Iron-stone measure at Ketley : it is nownbsp;in the collection of Mr. Austin of Madeley.

The existence of Palms at the time of the Coal measui-es has always been insisted upon as one ofnbsp;the many proofs that the Vegetation of the Coalnbsp;8era was tropical; bnt this, like the argumentsnbsp;derived from the supposed existence of Tree Fernnbsp;stems, has long been exposed to objections whichnbsp;are not easily answered. We have shewn, at tablenbsp;42 of the first volume of this work, that up to thenbsp;time when that article made its appearance, therenbsp;had not been a single genuine Tree Fern stemnbsp;described from the old Coal of any part of thenbsp;world; now, with what are published in our presentnbsp;number, the existence of three English species willnbsp;have been demonstrated. So with Palms ; no onenbsp;has yet seen Palm-wood in the Coal measures, onlynbsp;three kinds of kaves have been referred to this class.

/ j / _

J S)

HHff

and of those, one, the Flabellaria Borassifolia, is probably not a Palm at all; while the other two,nbsp;both belonging to the genus Noggerathia, are by nonbsp;means so clearly proved to be Palms that a question could not be raised about them, especially innbsp;the absence of proof of the existence of other species;nbsp;and finally, doubts have been expressed by Adolphenbsp;Brongniart [Prod. p. 120J, whether the fossil Coalnbsp;fruits, supposed to belong to Palms, were not in factnbsp;something else.

Under these circumstances, we think we shall be rendering good service to Geology if we can succeed in producing tolerably good evidence, in twonbsp;more cases, of the existence of Palms in this country at the time when the Coal was deposited, andnbsp;a third which is supported upon testimony whichnbsp;the most scrupulous Botanist cannot gainsay.

The first to which we have to call attention is the subject of this article (t. 142, f. A). This wasnbsp;an ovate fruit, of the exact size shewn in our drawing, originally covered with a thin coat, whichnbsp;now remains in the form of a thin broken carbonaceous crust; below this coat was a thick shellnbsp;marked with three projecting ribs, and within thenbsp;shell was a single seed which seems to have stoodnbsp;erect in the cavity; all this is visible in our specimen, in consequence of the shell having beennbsp;broken through from the apex, so as to lay barenbsp;the seed. The latter seems to have been soft at thenbsp;time when it was converted into ironstone, for

there is a distinct trace of a deep depression in two places, just at the point where the shell is fractured. No trace of calyx, or of any other bodynbsp;is discernible externally.

Now all this is exactly what would be seen in many Palms, which have in like manner a three-ribbed fruit containing a single seed within a thicknbsp;shell, and if their seed were decayed, its sidesnbsp;would give way just as has happened here, in consequence of its being hollow like the Cocoa-nut;nbsp;such a Palm is the common Chilian Mkrococos,nbsp;which is so commonly sold in the market ofnbsp;Valparaiso. Supposing the apex of such a Palmnbsp;could be laid bare by a fracture of the shell,nbsp;as has occurred in our fossil, a number of veinsnbsp;would be seen passing downwards from the apexnbsp;towards the base; traces of such a structurenbsp;are distinctly visible here, only they are scarcelynbsp;elevated above the surface of the seed, which maynbsp;have been caused by the decay of the latter.

No doubt this is nearly allied to Pahnacite'^ dubius of Sternberg, which Brongniart calls Trigonocar-pum dubium, but that species is both rounder andnbsp;smaller.

142 B

Obligingly communicated to us from the Lancashire Coal-field, by Dr. Black of Bolton.

The only two species we have seen of this, are the present, and another from Bideford, in Devonshire, among some vegetable fossils, collected by Mr.nbsp;De la Beche, and in both the two parts of which thenbsp;species consisted were placed obliquely with respectnbsp;to each other, as is represented in the drawing ; thenbsp;one half having convex veins, and therefore shewing the lower surface, while the other half is proved,nbsp;by its concave veins, to have been the upper surface.nbsp;It is evident that they were applied to each othernbsp;face to face, and one would think that their relativenbsp;position was caused by their having been doublednbsp;down upon each other.

From the great breadth of this leaf, and its apparent length, it could scarcely have been any thing except the leaf of some pinnated Palm, whose pinnaenbsp;are of considerable width, as in many species of

wmmm

170

Cocos; at least we know of no other monoco-tyledonons leaf with which it can be compared.

Supposing this analogy to be a just one, it is not impossible that the position of the two faces, whichnbsp;seems to be caused by the leaf being doubled up,nbsp;may be owing to the original structure of the leafnbsp;itself. For if it is the remains of a simply pinnatednbsp;leaf, the under side might belong to one pinna,nbsp;and the upper to another, pressed against eachnbsp;other in consequence of the leaf being folded up.nbsp;And this we are the more inclined to suspect maynbsp;be the case, in consequence of both the specimensnbsp;we have seen, from distant localities, being in justnbsp;the same state, a circumstance which would hardlynbsp;have occurred if the doubling of the leaf werenbsp;accidental.

This we regard then as a second�new instance of the existence of Palms in the Coal measures.

142 C

Trigonocarpum N�ggeratlii. Ad. Brong. Prodr.p. 137. Palraacites N�ggeratlii. Slernb. t. 55, f. 6, 7.

Whatever opinion may be held of tlie relation of the last two fossils to Palms, there cannot be thenbsp;slightest as to this, for which we are also indebtednbsp;to Dr. Black. It occurs in considerable quantitynbsp;here and there, imbedded in sandstone, as if it hadnbsp;originally grown in large clusters : as was in allnbsp;probability the case. We regard this as by far thenbsp;most interesting fruit yet met with in the Coalnbsp;measures.

It is possibly to this that Adolphe Brongniart alludes, when speaking of two or three species ofnbsp;hexagonal fruit, found in the Coal, which he considers cannot be Palm fruits, �because in all thenbsp;genera of this family, when the fruit is symmetrical

it consists of three parts and not of six.� Upon this we mnst remark, that although a six-sidednbsp;figure is not common in Palms, yet it exists innbsp;Diplothemium maritimum; and that moreover thisnbsp;may be proved to be a Palm upon the clearestnbsp;evidence.

The principal part of what we have examined consists of specimens of an ash grey colour, almostnbsp;exactly oval, but more acute at one end than thenbsp;other, and marked with three acute and three obtuse ribs, of which the latter are but little elevated.nbsp;Fig. 1, represents a side view of one of them ; 2,nbsp;the base, and 3, the apex : in this there is nothingnbsp;that can be called evidence. But upon fracturingnbsp;a mass' of sandstone, in which great numbers ofnbsp;fruits were imbedded, we were so fortunate as tonbsp;obtain a distinct view of the internal structure, asnbsp;represented at fig. 4; from which it appears thatnbsp;the fossil in its ordinary state, is an interior partnbsp;divested of a fleshy covering.

It consisted originally of a soft coat (fig. 4, a.), and was blunt at the apex, but tapered into a stalknbsp;(fig. 4, e.) at the base. Within this was anothernbsp;covering (fig. 4. b.), which enclosed a single seed.nbsp;In the specimen the lower end of the seed was depressed as if it had been softened; in the centrenbsp;(fig. 4, c.) it had a small round depression ; and anbsp;number of veins passed downwards from its apex,nbsp;losing themselves near the middle of the seed.

Palm, that there can be no doubt whatever that this fossil was the fruit of a plant of that kind; indeednbsp;the depression in the centre (fig. 4. c.), which indicates the seat of the embryo, and the raphe sonbsp;rich in veins, are to be found combined in no othernbsp;plants.

In fact, let any one compare it with a Date-fruit, and it will be impossible not to recognise the greatnbsp;similarity in organization.

It is, however, very remarkable in this fossil, that although it has apparently the drupaceousnbsp;structure of such fruits as the Cocoa-nuts, yet itnbsp;has no pore provided for the escape of the embryo.nbsp;It is impossible for so small and weak an organ asnbsp;the embryo of a Palm to force its way through sonbsp;hard and thick a covering as a Cocoa-nut shell,nbsp;and, consequently, nature thins the shell overnbsp;against the embryo, in order to enable the root ofnbsp;the latter to find its way into the earth ; this contrivance is seen on a Cocoa-nut shell, in the formnbsp;of the three well known black spots at the end.nbsp;It is to be expected that some trace of this contrivance would be discernible here; but as that is notnbsp;the case we must suppose that the second coat of thenbsp;fruit, which answers to the stone, was in this instancenbsp;soft enough to render such a provision as an embryo-pore unnecessary. Upon this supposition itnbsp;will have belonged to a genus essentially distinctnbsp;from any at present known.

143

CYCADEOIDEA PYGMiEA.

Communicated by Professor Buckland, from the lias at Lyme Regis. The specimen belongs to Missnbsp;Philpotts.

At first sight this might be taken for the cone of some tree ; but the irregularity of its figure, and ofnbsp;the arrangement of the scars upon its surface, together with the appearance of a large tubercle onnbsp;one side, will alone throw doubt upon the correctness of such an opinion; and this doubt is increasednbsp;by the absence of all trace of seeds in a polishednbsp;vertical section. When cut through from the apexnbsp;to the base, nothing can be seen except the bases ofnbsp;blunt scales, planted perpendicularly upon a thicknbsp;and solid centre.

In fact, we entertain little doubt that instead of a cone, we are to consider it as the stem of a smallnbsp;species of Zamia, analogous to those productions innbsp;the Isle of Portland, the real nature of which Profes-

sor Buckland has so satisfactorily elucidated in the Transactions of the Geological Society. Upon thisnbsp;supposition the tubercle near the middle will be anbsp;rudimentary branch, and all the irregularity ofnbsp;form and arrangement in the spaces which covernbsp;the surface, especially near the base, will be consistent with what we should find in nature.

Our figure is taken from a beautiful drawing by Mr. Sowerby, for which we are indebted to thenbsp;liberality of Professor Buckland.

144

PHLEBOPTERIS CONTIGUA.

This genus is figured in the 83rd plate of Brong-niart�s History of Fossil Plants, but the letter press has not yet reached us. It appears to be distinctlynbsp;characterized by the presence, next the midrib, of anbsp;row of areolae, the upper edge of which is eithernbsp;oblique or parallel with the midrib, on which thenbsp;simple or dichotomous veins are planted almostnbsp;perpendicularly.

As a species this is obviously distinguished from Brongniart�s plant, by its pinnae being so closenbsp;together as to touch each other at the edges, andnbsp;much wider, while their costal areolae are obliquenbsp;instead of semi-hexagons.

It was found in Iron nodules in the Oolitic formation of Gristhorpe Bay near Scarborough, and was communicated by our excellent correspondentnbsp;Mr. Williamson, Jun., with the following note.

178

� The central stem has tapered very rapidly, and is rather strongly striated. The greater partnbsp;of it, however (as well as the central nerve of thenbsp;leaflets), is decomposed as usual. The leaflets arenbsp;alternate, slightly curved upwards, about one inchnbsp;and a half long, terminating in an obtuse apex.nbsp;The divisions do not quite descend to the centralnbsp;stem, but their place is occupied by a remarkablenbsp;arrangement of the nerves, which will be betternbsp;understood by the magnified drawing than by mynbsp;describing it. The small spaces on each side ofnbsp;the main nerve are rather irregularly formed, sometimes opposite and in others alternate, but morenbsp;frequently the former, so as to shew a string ofnbsp;curious heart-shaped appearances in the centre ofnbsp;each leaflet. The nervures are sometimes dividednbsp;near the margin ; about every second and third.nbsp;I cannot discover any traces of the sori Brongniartnbsp;mentions : they either do not exist in our specimen,nbsp;or are very minute, and on the under side of thenbsp;leaf, so as to be invisible. This is the only specimen I have seen : we have another which differsnbsp;from this, in the nerves not dichotomizing at thenbsp;margin.�

145

For this we are indebted to Mr. Conway of the Pontnewydd works, who obligingly communicatednbsp;an excellent drawing of it with the following note.

After noticing its great resemblance in some respects to Pecopteris heterophylla, tab. 38 of thisnbsp;wmrk, this gentleman remarks, �that the differencenbsp;between the two will be found sufficiently great tonbsp;form them into distinct species. The pinnae ofnbsp;this plant are much longer, and neither so muchnbsp;tapered nor so acutely pointed as in P. heterophylla;nbsp;but the most remarkable difference consists in thenbsp;terminal leaflets, A and B, which give this specimen quite a distinct character, and must have

180

produced a very graceful habit in the living plant. The specimen is from the Coal Mines of the Britishnbsp;Iron Company at Abersychan in Monmouthshire,nbsp;and is the only one I have ever seen�.

It does not appear to differ from P. Mantelli, of which Adolphe Brongniart has given a figure, fromnbsp;a specimen without the terminal pinnae, communicated to him by Mr. Mantell, from the Newcastlenbsp;Coal measures. That learned Geologist comparesnbsp;it with the common Pecopteris lonchitica; from whichnbsp;it is obviously to be distinguished by its very narrownbsp;and obtuse pinnae, independently of the long terminal one. Like Pecopteris heterophylla it representsnbsp;an extinct form of Pteris, of the nature of Pterisnbsp;caudata and aquilina. Adolphe Brongniart regardsnbsp;it as intermediate between Pteris caudata andnbsp;arachnoidea, two West Indian species.

146

For this also we are indebted to the same intelligent correspondent who furnished us with the last subject.

Mr. Conway observes, that � there appears to have been a very peculiar character belonging tonbsp;this Fern. It seems to have been coriaceous andnbsp;very thick, so as to give to the whole plant somewhatnbsp;of a tuberculated appearance. Each portion ofnbsp;the leaflet appears as if formed of a separate globule,nbsp;and the globules seem, by compression, to have beennbsp;squeezed into each other, and thus to form onenbsp;mass. This may possibly arise from the plants beingnbsp;in fructification. When the impression of the undernbsp;side is left in the shale it is in very deep indentations ; and, if these indentations are the impressionsnbsp;left by the sori, then they must have been arrangednbsp;somewhat in the same manner as those on thenbsp;Aspidium Filix mas of the present day. The pinnules

are attached to the rachis by the whole of their base, and the veins radiate, as it were, from thenbsp;base of each apparent tubercle of which the frondnbsp;is composed, without any division or branching.nbsp;This I have endeavoured to represent in a magnified portion. The only specimens I have seen arenbsp;from Risca, in this county, and there, I understand,nbsp;it is a common fossil.�

Not having seen a specimen we are able to add but little to the foregoing remarks.

The fossil obviously belongs to the set of Sphe-nopteris, consisting of S. H'�ninghausi, rigida, tri-foliolata, and obtusiloba, which Adolphe Brongniart justly compares with the larger species of the modern genus Cheilanthes. They all are Coal measure plants, having that character of convexity innbsp;the lobes of the pinnules, which Mr. Conway justlynbsp;describes as giving the plant a tubercular appearance. If, however, they were really related tonbsp;Cheilanthes, it is to be remarked that this convexitynbsp;was not owing to the pressure of a large centralnbsp;sorus beneath each lobe, but to the curving backwards of the edges of the lobes so as to cover thenbsp;narrow marginal sori.

From the species described by Adolphe Brongniart, this differs essentially in the pinnules being seated close upon the rachis, and touching eachnbsp;other, so that to the naked eye the pinnae look asnbsp;if they were regularly pinnatifid with very shortnbsp;acute lobes. Each of these supposed lobes is in

reality a pinnule, consisting of three or five lobes, of which the lowest are much the largest, and thenbsp;terminal one rather narrower and longer than thenbsp;intermediate ones, if there is any of the latternbsp;present.

We have named it in compliment to the gentleman who has so obligingly communicated it to us; as a slight acknowledgment of the value we, attachnbsp;to his investigations of the highly interesting Coalnbsp;flora of South Wales.

From the appearance of this specimen it may be conjectured that it was a Tree Fern ; for althoughnbsp;there may be some doubt whether the lateral ramifications are in all cases actually attached to thenbsp;central rachis, yet the general relation borne to eachnbsp;other by the parts as they lie imbedded in the shale,nbsp;is such as to render it highly probable that they allnbsp;once belonged to each other. In this case thenbsp;species would not be very widely different from thenbsp;Cheilanthes arhorescens, a Tree Fern which now inhabits the New Hebrides.

147

SPHENOPTERIS POLYPHYLLA.

Communicated by Mr. Murchison,* from the coal of the Titterstone Clee, in Shropshire, wherenbsp;it was found by Mr. Lewis.

* This, with many others, some of which form a part of the present Number, was collected by Mr. Murchison, during his recentnbsp;geological surveys of Salop, Hereford, and the adjoining counties.nbsp;These plants are from the Knowlshury coal-field, a small ellipticalnbsp;basin, situated at the south-western termination of the carboniferousnbsp;tract of the Titterstone Clee Hills. They occur chiefly in the roofnbsp;of the great coal, and gutter coal, and also in the concretions ofnbsp;iron-stone. It is important to remark, that in a Memoir lately readnbsp;before the Geological Society, Mr. Murchison has shown, that thenbsp;Clee Hill coal-measures, as well as those of Coal-brook Dale, ofnbsp;the Wyne Forest, and of Oswestry, are all of older date than thosenbsp;of the Shrewsbury field. The latter containing a fresh-water limestone, and passing upwards into the base of the newer red sandstone,nbsp;is proved to be the youngest of these carboniferous zones. It isnbsp;from a portion of this Shrewsbury coal-field (Le Botwood), that wenbsp;formerly published the specimens of Neuropteris cordata, Odon-topteris obtusa, and Cyperites bicarinata, figured in our first volume,nbsp;which plants Mr. Murchison has discovered in various parts of thenbsp;same field, associated with Pecopteris lonchitica.

It is a very distinct species, allied to Sph. ohtu-siloha, but decidedly different in tlie lengthened form of the central piece in all the three-lobednbsp;segments of its leaves.

The leaves were bipinnated at least, and possibly more frequently divided; both the principal and secondary pinnae were so closely placed thatnbsp;the lobes over-lapped each other. The segmentsnbsp;of the pinnae had an ovate, or somewhat heart-shaped figure, and were divided into from three tonbsp;five lobes. When the lobes were five, the terminalnbsp;one was not much longer than the others, but theynbsp;all had a rounded termination, and the lateralnbsp;were sometimes split; when the lobes were onlynbsp;three, the terminal one was always much longernbsp;than the two lateral ones, which near the point ofnbsp;the pinnae became mere auricles and finally disappeared. The veins were wide apart and almostnbsp;always forked.

148

Discovered in the lower sandstone and shale of the Oolitic series at Cloughton Wyke, near Scarborough; for the drawing we are obliged to Mr.nbsp;Williamson, jun.

The leaves were bipinnated, with all their divisions regularly alternate. The pinnae were five or six inches long, and consisted of about twenty-fournbsp;pairs of narrow, very regularly, and deeply serrated lobes, which gradually tapered to a narrownbsp;but not acuminated point. Each division of itsnbsp;lobes is represented by Mr. Williamson as havingnbsp;a set of very delicate veins passing towards thenbsp;point, and sending off simple veinlets obliquelynbsp;and laterally.

Only one specimen has been met with in a coarse-grained sandstone, much impregnated withnbsp;iron.

From nearly the whole of the lobes of this plant having had their ends abruptly broken off, it is notnbsp;improbable that it had been lying for some timenbsp;in troubled water before it was deposited, for wenbsp;have remarked the same circumstance occur innbsp;recent ferns which have accidentally fallen into anbsp;large piece of water, provided they have their lobesnbsp;serrated in the same degree as this species.

Polypodium and Aspidium are two modern genera, both of which contain species analogous to this,nbsp;but we have not succeeded in identifying it withnbsp;any recent plant.

We have no fossil Sphenopteiis with which it is at all necessary to compare this.

149

From the Knowlsbury Coal-field, whence it was brought by Mr. Murchison, after whom we havenbsp;named it.

There is no species which has yet been published for which this can be mistaken. It is most likenbsp;S. oculata, but is quite distinct from it and allnbsp;others on account of the singular markings of itsnbsp;surface.

The only specimen we have seen consists of six broken elevated ribs with concave spaces, aboutnbsp;four lines wide, between them. The scars arenbsp;exactly the form of those in Sig. oculata, and havenbsp;a double or triple point of communication beyondnbsp;their centre. The surface between the rihs is verynbsp;sharply and distinctly marked with broken wrinklesnbsp;which form curves connecting the ribs; thesenbsp;curves are by no means uniform or regular, butnbsp;are placed at unequal distances and often anas-tomoze.

The only specimen of this curious plant that has yet been met with is one which was procurednbsp;by Mr. Murchison, from the sandstone of thenbsp;Knowlsbury coal-field.

If really anOtopteris it will be extremely interest-as being the first species of its genus that has occurred in the coal formation. Hitherto itnbsp;has been supposed confined to the Oolitic series, ifnbsp;we except a doubtful plant from the New Rednbsp;Sandstone. (See page 142 of this volume).

This specimen is so very like (9. ohtusa (tab. 128) in size and general appearance, that although itnbsp;is essentially distinguished by its leaflets beingnbsp;narrowed to their base, instead of being broad andnbsp;auricled, we are led to suppose it may belong to thenbsp;same genus. There would be no doubt indeed of

192

the matter, if the embedded leaflets were all decidedly upon the same plane, for then we shouldnbsp;be sure that it was really a pinnated leaf; but thenbsp;leaflets are so irregularly imbedded in the sandstone, some being visible upon fractures of thenbsp;surface considerably lower than others, that wenbsp;cannot avoid entertaining a suspicion that thenbsp;leaflets, or rather leaves, as in that case they wouldnbsp;be, were either whorled or placed all round anbsp;slender stem. Should this be so, the plant wouldnbsp;then be a new species of either Sphenophyllum ornbsp;Trizygia, both of which are genera confined to thenbsp;Coal-measures; and this is perhaps the morenbsp;probable supposition.

As far as we can make out, the ends of the leaflets were rounded as we have represented them, but wenbsp;cannot be sure that the margin has not been brokennbsp;away.

151

Found in the coal mines at Risca in Monmouthshire ; and communicated to us by Mr. Conway.

The only specimen which has yet occurred, and which is that now represented, is a very perfectnbsp;impression of a pinnated leaf, the pinnae of whichnbsp;are deeply pinnatifid at the base, but with confluent lobes at the apex. The lobes appear tonbsp;have been very thin and delicate after the mannernbsp;of recent Adiantums; the lowermost on each pinnanbsp;were roundish, contracted at their base into a verynbsp;short stalk, and pretty regularly three-lobed. Asnbsp;they approach the apex the lobes lose all trace ofnbsp;a stalk, become entire, and at last are confluentnbsp;into a tapering pinnatifid extremity. The veinsnbsp;are so delicate, or have been so imperfectly preserved, as to be scarcely visible when they approachnbsp;the margin of the lobes; nearer the base they are

more distinct, and spread regularly from their origin, bifurcating as the lobe dilates.

This is nearly allied to Sphenopteris adiantoides, already figured at t. 115 of this work; but it differsnbsp;essentially from that species in the tapering formnbsp;of its pinnss, and in the division of its lobes.nbsp;Whether it was pinnated or bipinnated the specimen does not enable us to determine. It is alsonbsp;closely related to Sp. latifolia, t. 156, but was anbsp;plant of a much larger size in all its parts.

I' �

\ II

lEIati-, 752. � '

i�

.Fub: by 2�^s!:'^Iiid$w(iy.I,imdvn,Jpril. 7S3S.

Sent from the Coal-measures of Blackwoodia, Monmouthshire, by our obliging correspondentnbsp;Mr. Conway.

Figs. 1 and 2 represent the fossil as it has occurred ; fig. 3 is a sketch by Mr. Conway, of the manner in which he conjectures the leaves to havenbsp;been formed. He observes at the base of eachnbsp;leaf a kind of plicature, as if its substance was anbsp;little wrinkled, and from the nature of the plaits itnbsp;would seem that the leaf-stalk had been of a thicknbsp;leathery texture.

This agrees well enough with the structure of Araucaria, and the close contact in which it isnbsp;obvious from fig. 2, that the leaves must havenbsp;grown is further confirmatory of the opinion that

Lepidophylla are the leaves of some plants very similar in manner of growth to the South Americannbsp;species of that genus.

153

Planta diluviana epiphyllospermos in saxo dimidiato convex�-plano in profunditate ingenti reperta in fodinis ferri prope Newcastle Northumbrise. Scheuch. herb, diluv. p. 74. t. \.�. 4.

Filicites lonchiticus. Schloth. Petrefakt, p. 411. Flora der vorwelt, p. 54. t.ll. f. 22.

Alethopteris loncbitidis et vulgatior. Sternb. Fl. der vorw. fase. 4. p. xxi. t. 53. f. 2.

Pecopteris lonchitica. ld. Prodr. p. 57, Hist, des Veg. Poss.p.274. t. 84./. 1�7. t. 128.

One of the commonest of the plants of the old coal formation, occurring in great numbers innbsp;various mines of France, Bohemia, Silesia, andnbsp;England. It has lately been met with in greatnbsp;numbers by Mr. De la Beche in coal at Bidefordnbsp;in Devonshire.

- The fragments in which it is found being often from different parts of a leaf, are sometimes so

different in appearance as to have led to the formation of several spurious species. When the pinnules are decurrent it is the Alethopteris lon-chilidis of Sternberg, when rounded at the base itnbsp;is the Alethopteris vulgatior of the same author.nbsp;Adolphe Brongniart originally separated it intonbsp;Pecopteris lonckitica and blechnoides, but afterwardsnbsp;combined them; and we do not see on what,nbsp;character his P. Serlii from the Bath coal-field isnbsp;to be distinguished.

From a comparison of various specimens in different states, it is to be gathered that this plantnbsp;was a bipinnated fern with leaves about the size ofnbsp;those of the common Brake, or something larger.nbsp;The lobes were long, narrow, and usually decurrent, contracting, however, at the base towards thenbsp;lower part of the pinnae. In some cases they werenbsp;acute, ^in others acuminated, and occasionallynbsp;they were rather obtuse. Towards the end of thenbsp;pinnae they became confluent, diminished verynbsp;much in size, and at last ended in a long lobe,nbsp;resembling those at the base of the pinnae both innbsp;size and form. In all cases they were stronglynbsp;marked with a midrib, on which were placednbsp;almost perpendicularly a number of close fine veinsnbsp;which are usually simple but sometimes forked.

In all the specimens we have examined the lobes of the leaves have uniformly been convex, andnbsp;sometimes in a remarkable degree; this circumstance, which shews that they were originally of a

199

thick texture, taken together with the general resemblance of this plant to certain species ofnbsp;Pteris, especially to P. aquilina, and several Indiannbsp;kinds, has led to the suspicion that it must havenbsp;been in fact a species of that genus �, and Adolphenbsp;Brongniart has stated that it is most nearly alliednbsp;to Pt. caudata, a West Indian plant. It must,nbsp;however, be observed, that the veins in that speciesnbsp;and in all those of the same division of the genus,nbsp;are much more distant and forked than in this,nbsp;which, if a Pteris at all, we should consider morenbsp;nearly allied to some of the simply pinnatednbsp;Pterules, notwithstanding its greater degree ofnbsp;division. It is, however, entirely different fromnbsp;all the recent species of which we have any knowledge, and in fact so nearly agrees with severalnbsp;Blechna in its veins, especially B. ori�ntale, that wenbsp;are by no means sure that the weight of evidencenbsp;is not in favour of its being a Blechnum rather thannbsp;a Pteris.

154

The portion here represented was the upper part of a pinna of a tripinnated plant, which must havenbsp;been of considerable size; judging from a noblenbsp;specimen figured by Adolphe Brongniart probablynbsp;arborescent. Each pinnule was on an average annbsp;inch and a half long, and the distance betweennbsp;the setting on of the pinnules was about four lines.nbsp;The lobes were placed close together, and werenbsp;about two and a half lines long ; at the base theynbsp;were slightly united, at their points they werenbsp;rather acute, their sides were nearly parallel andnbsp;VOL. II.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;s

202

crenelled ; they were traversed by a midrib, which reached to their apex, and gave off obliquely anbsp;number of distant forked veins.

This differs from P. pennceformis, another Coal-measure plant, in almost nothing except the cre-nelling of the lobes of the leaves, as far as we have any means of judging; but as the letter-press ofnbsp;Adolphe Brongniart�s work, containing the description of this has not yet appeared, we are ignorantnbsp;of the motives he has had for separating them.

155

We are acquainted with this remarkable little plant only from the accompanying drawing, and anbsp;description with which we have been favoured bynbsp;Mr. Williamson, jun.

It was discovered at Gristhorpe Bay near Scarborough, and is supposed by Mr. Williamson to have been a fern belonging to the genus Glossop-teris and having its leaflets both springing from anbsp;common point. The veins are described as beingnbsp;twice or thrice forked between the setting on of thenbsp;leaf, and the margin ; the leaflets, in the only twonbsp;specimens that have been met with, appear tonbsp;originate from the apex of a short common stalk,nbsp;and were roundish-oblong, with something of anbsp;wedge-shaped outline.

As the leaflets have no midrib, but are mere membranous expansions, traversed by veins radiating from the base, and branching at regularnbsp;intervals, so as to fill up the parenchyma, it is not

possible to refer this plant to Glossopteris, neither is it very easy, in the absence of a greater number ofnbsp;specimens, to know in what other genus to stationnbsp;it. We are not sure whether it really did consistnbsp;of only one pair of leaflets, and we do not knownbsp;whether the stalk is all that the plant ever had, ornbsp;whether it is not a part of something very muchnbsp;branched. It is, however, most probable that itnbsp;was allied to Otopteris Beanii, and the other speciesnbsp;of that very distinctly marked group, and it isnbsp;thither that we think it safest to refer it.

A twice or thrice pinnated plant, the pinnse of whose leaves vary very much in different specimens.nbsp;They are generally, as represented in the plate,nbsp;broad and blunt, with a heart-shaped outline, andnbsp;consisting of about five rounded, nearly equal segments, which are divided almost down to thenbsp;midrib. But occasionally they consist of sevennbsp;segments, the lowermost of which are three-lobednbsp;and the upper confluent; in other cases they havenbsp;almost constantly only three rounded segments,

but in that case the middle segment is usually two-lobed ; and finally it sometimes happens that the segments are all run very much together, so as tonbsp;destroy the deeply pinnatifid character of the pinnae.nbsp;This is so remarkably the case in Adolphe Brong-niart�s upper right-hand figure, that one couldnbsp;hardly avoid doubting whether it is really a portionnbsp;of the same plant, if one did not know how verynbsp;variable a species this is.

In all cases the veins diverge from the base of each segment, and spread into the parenchyma bynbsp;a regular system of forking ; they never approachnbsp;each other near enough to give the lobes a streakednbsp;appearance to the naked eye.

Abies oblonga Alethopteris lonchitidisnbsp;---vulsatior

Antholithes Pitcairnias Araucaria peregrinanbsp;Asterophyllites jubata

--equisetiformis

� - nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;- comosa

Carpolithes alata nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;.

Casuarinites equisetiformis Caulopteris Pliillipsiinbsp;--gracilis

Coniferae, recent species of Ctenis falcatanbsp;Cycadeoidea pygmaea .nbsp;Cycadites Pecten

--sulcicaulis

Cyclocladia major . Cyclopteris obliqua

---auricutata

-- dilatata

Plate

137

153

133

124

108

80-81

124

139 96nbsp;87

124

140

141 127nbsp;103nbsp;143nbsp;102nbsp;103nbsp;130

90 90nbsp;91 B

153

121

Halonia 1 tortuosa

--gracilis

Hippurites gigantea

Lepidodendron lycopodioides

--Harcourtii

---Sternbergii

--selaginoides

--- elegans

Lepidophyllum trinerve Lycopodiolithus elegansnbsp;Lycopodites Williamsonisnbsp;-� --uncfolius

Megaphytum approximatam

----distans

---frondosum

Otopteris? dubia

--cuneata

-- obtusa

-acuminata

Plate

86 114

118

98-99

112

113

118

152

118

116

117

110

150

155

128

132

FOSSIL FLORA

GREAT BRITAIN;

FIGURES AND DESCRIPTIONS

JOHN LINDLEY, Ph.D. F.R.S. amp;c.

WILLIAM HUTTON, F.G.S. amp;c.

VOLUME 11.

LONDON

1833�5.

Tlale 80

80

81

BOTHRODENDRON PUNCTATUM.

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yiafij�f'^ jgixlt;

F�ate 82 '

82

83

gt;\

85

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HALONIA GRACILIS.

87

88

ARAUCARIA PEREGRINA.

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90

CYCLOPTERIS OBLIQUA.

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91 A

91 B

CYCLOPTERIS DILATATA.

W.Willuimson delt

TJiNIOPTERIS MAJOR.

93

94

95

97

KNORR�A SELLONII.

98 amp; 99.

49

4#

100 amp; 101

SPHENOPTERIS CRENATA,

SCHIZOPTERIS ADNASCENS

FlateJ^

Ma^nifud

W m.!'.lar^L-s on dol

102

103

104

Flarr �

105

106

108

109