discovered in Gristhorpe Bay^ Yorkshire. 317 



we shall, with tolerable certainty, be enabled to pronounce as to 

 their relative age. Neither shall we any longer be perplexed 

 and obstructed by the local or harsh sounding names, as of Jura 

 Limestone or Coral Rag, of Kimmeridge Clay or Cornbrash, of 

 Kelloway Rock or of Crag, names confined to one single district, 

 or to a few naturalists, without regard to one uniform consist- 

 ent nomenclature. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE V. 



Fig. 1, A Fern, displaying a most curious and singular diversity of form 

 in the same leaf. In the genera Acrosticlium and Onoclea, 

 the fertile fronds contract around the fructifications, and give 

 to one leaf a very different form from another : and the same 

 thing is seen in the Blechnum spicant, which indeed bears 

 much resemblance to our coal-plant in general habit, but which 

 varies in this biform leaf, tongued at the extremity, and pin- 

 nated towards the base. 



2. A Polypodium, characterised by its capsules disposed dorsally, 



in round spots, parallel to the midrib. Drawn one-third of 

 original size. 



3. A very beautiful and delicate fern, occasionally met with in fruc- 



tification, so nearly obliterated as hai*dly to allow of its clas- 

 sification. Probably an Aspidium. 



4. Drawn about a fourth of the natural size, and presenting a 



plant nearly allied, by its terminal spike of ciyptogamous 

 flowers, to the genus Equisetum. 



On the connection between the Phases of the Moon and Rainy 

 Days. By M. Flaugergues. 



X HERE exists between the phases of the moon and the rainy 

 days which coincide with these phases a constant relation, which 

 would appear very singular, did not what we have observed of 

 the thermometer afford an explanation of it. From the calcu- 

 lation which I have made of the rainy days that have coincided 

 with the days of the moon's phases, and with those of the peri- 

 gee and apogee, during the period of nineteen years (from the 



