GEOLOGY. 355 



coal-measures. A few facts which I have observed lead me to believe that 

 in the thin seams of the lower coal-measures remains of Nceggerathia and 

 Lcpidodendron arc more abundant than in those of the middle coal-meas- 

 ures.* In the upper coal-measures similar modifications may be expected. 

 These differences have been to a certain extent ascertained by Goeppert for 

 Silesia, and by Lesquercux for those of Ohio; but the subject is deserving of 

 further investigation. 



ON THE AGE AND FOSSILS OF THE CONNECTICUT RIVER 



SANDSTONES. 



Prof. Hitchcock, in his recent work, Ichnolocjy of New England, in discuss- 

 ing the age of the Connecticut River Sandstones, concludes that the upper 

 half of the sandstones that east of the half range of Mount Tom is not 

 older than the Lias; and that the Virginia and Xorth Carolina beds are of 

 equivalent age; the lower half of the same sandstone, which may be a mile 

 in thickness, according to the measurements of Prof. II., are thick enough 

 to embrace the Triassic and Permian ; but no evidence has been obtained 

 that the Permian is represented. 



Since the discovery of the Permian in the west, as a direct continuation of 

 the Carboniferous beds, and as the closing part properly of the Carbonifer- 

 ous system, it has become more apparent, we think, that the beds on the 

 Atlantic border, from the Connecticut valley to Xorth Carolina, belong to a 

 later period. The elevation of the Appalachian mountains appears to have 

 closed the Palaeozoic era, and thus separates the Permian period, the last of 

 the Carboniferous age, from the Triassic, the first of the Reptilian. The 

 observations of Prof. Hitchcock tend to confirm this view, for the rocks all 

 appear to belong to one system : the fossils of the upper half are as recent, 

 probably, as Lias; and no trace of a Permian species has been found in any 

 of the beds. 



The foot-prints found in the Connecticut River Sandstones, are referred to 

 by Prof. Hitchcock as follows : To Marsupialoid animals (5 species); Birds 

 (31 species); Ornithoid reptiles, or reptiles walking on their posterior feet 

 (12); Lizards (17); Batrachians (16); Chelonians C8); Fishes (4); Crusta- 

 ceans, Myriapods, and Insects (19); Annelids (10); in all 123 species, 

 more than double the number announced ten years since. The reference of 

 some of these species to the special division in which they occur, is still 

 doubtful, as Professor Hitchcock states, especially the Chelonian and Mar- 

 supialoid tracks. Silliman's Journal, March, 18-39. 



ON SOME FOSSIL PLANTS OF RECENT FORMATIONS. 



Prof. Leo Lesquereaux, in a communication to Silliman's Journal, May 

 18-39, states, that he finds, on examination of a collection of fossil plants 

 made by Dr. John Evans, from the coal formations at Xanaimo, Vancou- 

 ver's Island, and at Bellingham Bay, "Washington Territory, that, with one 

 exception, " there is not a single plant collected which does not show a near 

 relation to some species of the Miocene of Europe," a conclusion that un- 



* I may refer to my late paper on Devonian Plants from Canada, for an example 

 of a still older coal, made up principally of remains of Lycopodiaceous plants of 

 the genus Psilnphyton. 



