108 Queries and Afiawcrs, 



There is evidently a'great general analogy between the fossil Flora of the 

 English and the Continental coal-fields ; but the comparison of these 

 plants has scarcely been pursued with the attention necessary to the com- 

 plete establishment of their identity, although very interesting collections 

 are by no means rare in this country. 



In the absence of a work especially devoted to the elucidation of this 

 branch of natural history in England, our collectors have not unfrequently 

 experienced difficulties in referring the fossil plants to their respective 

 genera. Some mention has been made of an intention to supply this 

 deficiency; and it is conceived that the Flora of our carbonaceous formations 

 will furnish an abundant supply of new and interesting productions, and, 

 by a comparison with the existing vegetation, will further illustrate the 

 phenomena of heat and climate in the former world. As an instance of 

 the necessity for such a work, might be mentioned the fact, of a collection 

 of coal plants having been sent from this country into Germany by an 

 eminent naturalist, for the sole purpose of being identified, named, and 

 returned. 



Figs. 25. 26., referred to in B.'s communication, are common, probably, to 

 all coal districts, and appear not only in the argillaceous and bituminous 

 shales, but in the superincumbent and inferior sandstones. 



Fig. 24. is probably one of those arundinaceous plants with fluted and 

 jointed stems, known by the name of Calamites, and probably the Calamites 

 dubius of Artis : they commonly appear in a flattened form, particularly 

 in the shales, and are often distorted when the casts are filled with argilla- 

 ceous iron ore. 



Fig. 25. is somewhat obscure, but most probably Euphorbites vulgaris of 

 Artis. 



Fig. 26. is a Phitolithus (Aphyllum asperum of Artis). 

 ! The appearance of the same species, and even of parts of the same plants, 

 of this class, varies according to the circumstance of their presenting either 

 epidermal, cortical, or ligneous impressions and surfaces ; each representing 

 the epidermis, the bark, and the wood j and hence these have been properly 

 styled Protean fossils. — R. C. T. 



Optical Phenomenon. — Sir, On Sunday, the 11th of November, 1827, 

 about two o'clock, my attention was called to the singular circumstance of 

 the passengers, walking on the north side of the High Street of this town, 

 having two shadows, which were well defined, and nearly equally strong. 

 They were projected partly on the pavement and partly on the front of 

 the houses, and formed an angle of about twenty degrees, the heads being 

 nearly 3 ft. asunder. Wishing to ascertain whether the double shadow 

 was visible to the person by whom it was formed, I passed through that 

 part of the street, and found that only one was apparent ; but, upon re- 

 treating into the middle of the roadway, two shadows were seen as before. 

 This optical phenomenon I am induced to attribute to refraction, occasioned 

 by the state of the atmosphere. About an hour before, rain had fallen, the 

 air was filled with watery particles, and the surface of the street was wet, 

 which would naturally cause a strong exhalation under a brilliant sun, 

 which was the case at the time, and formed a bank of mist, on which the 

 images might be represented. I offer this hypothesis with great diffidence, 

 and should be happy to learn the opinion of yourself, or of some of your 

 scientific readers, on the subject, through the medium of your Magazine. 

 During the eclipse of the sun, on the 29th of November, 1826, 1 noticed 

 that two shadows were formed. This was the first time I observed it ; but 

 similar appearances have occurred twice during the last month. — Mupha- 

 tamet. Wi/combe^ December 8. 1823. 



Scriptural Geology. — Sir, Having lately read a book entitled Scriptural 

 Geology^ purporting to be written in answer to M. Cuvier's Theory of the 

 Earth and Dr. Buckland's Reliqui<B ZHluviance, I much wish to get other 



