J6S 



On the Pre-carhonijerous Flora of 



walls much tbickened, and in consequence to have been more 

 durable than that nearer the surface. They appear to have been 

 drift trees, and to have been much worn and abraded before they 

 were imbedded in sediment. 



2. Calamites transitlonis. — Goeppert. 

 (Fig. 5 — previous page.) 

 The specimen figured appears to belong to the species above 

 named, which occurs in the Devonian of Silesia, and also in the 

 Lower Coal Formation. It is a cast in sandstone, showing 

 merely the decorticated surface in an indiflferent state of preser- 

 vation. Specimens of this species were shown to me in 1857, by 

 the late Prof. Robb, and were the first well characterized plants 

 from the St. John rocks, that had come under my notice. 



• 



3. Asteropliyllites parvula. — S. n. 



Fig. 6. — Asterophyllites parvula. 

 (a) Natural size, (h) Portion magnified, (c) Stem natural size. 



Description. — Branchlets slender. Leaves 5 or 6 in a whorl, subulate, 

 curving upward, half a line to a line long. Internodes equal to 

 length of leaves or less. Stems ribbed, with scars of verticillate 

 branchlets at the nodes. 



This delicate little species is found abundantly in graphitic 

 shale, on the surfaces of which its branchlets and leaves appear 

 as shining films of graphite, as if delicately drawn with a black 

 lead pencil. It can be extracted from the shale only in frag- 

 ments ; but associated with these are remains of stems about a 

 line in thickness, with about 16 ribs and prominent nodes with 

 little tubercles indicating the attachment of branchlets. 



4. Cordaites (Pycnophyllum) Robhii. — S. n. 



Description. — Leaves elongated, parallel-sided, an inch or more in 

 width, with very delicate equal longitudinal striae. 



This is the characteristic plant of the graphitic shale above 

 mentioned, to which its leaves, converted into graphite, aid in 



