76 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



belongs probably to Stigmariopsis. I possess two cucumber-like 

 terminations, both of which also belong to Stigmariopsis. x It is 

 very possible, therefore, that at least some of these blunt-pointed 

 Stigmarian extremities may be the so-called " tap-roots " described 

 by Richard Brown, as suggested by Prof. Williamson. 2 It must 

 be noted, however, that the extremities figured by Steinhauer 

 and Goldenberg, and those in my possession, appear to be larger 

 than the " tap-roots " on the Stigmaria from the Roof of the 

 Sydney Main Coal, Cape Breton, and, further, that none of the 

 other Stigmaria whose under surface could be examined, have shown 

 any indication of a tap-root appendage. Still, some species of 

 Stigmaria may have had such additional growths attached to 

 their under surface, of which at present we have no knowledge. 

 What data we possess, however, tends to show that the " tap-root " 

 appendage is a character of Stigmariopsis . 3 ' 5 



Another large stool of Stigmaria from Osnabriick has been 

 described by Dr. H. Potonie. 4 It is not so perfect as the Clayton 

 example in so far as the Stigmaria portion is concerned, nor does 

 it appear to be so large. The Clayton specimen had a diameter 

 of four feet four inches at the base of the trunk, the Osnabriick 

 trunk was rather less than a meter (39J inches) in the lower 

 portion. 



Several well-marked forms of Stigmaria occur, which are 

 distinguished by markings on the bark or the size and arrange- 



1 One (No. 2547) from Woodyett Pit, Denny, Stirlingshire — Hor. Main 

 Coal — Carboniferous Limestone Series. The other from the Middle Coal 

 Measures of Yorkshire — Communicated by Mr. Wm, Henningway. 



- Williamson, Palceont. Soc. for 1886, p. 16. 1887. 



3 Grand 'Eury, Geol. et paieont. du Bassin Houil. du Gard., 1890, PI. 

 XIII., fig. 12; Solms-Laubach, " Uber Stigmariopsis, Grand 'Eury, Dames 

 and Kayser," Palceont. Abhandl., Neue folge, Band II.. Heft. 5, PI. III., 

 fig. 3. 



4 Potonie, Naturwissenschaftlichen Wochenschrift, Vol. VII., No. 34, p. 

 337, figs. 1, 2, 5, 6. Aug., 1892. 



6 Since this was written I have seen in the Museum, Owens College, 

 Manchester, some specimens of true Stigmaria ending in blunt points, and 

 a very interesting example has been shown me by Mr. J. W. Bond, 

 Burmantofts, Leeds, which shows the early stage of a bifurcation of a 

 blunt-pointed Stigmaria. I do not think that these specimens can be 

 explained as Brown's "Tap-roots." 



