in the Coal Formation at War die. 149 



organs of that class of plants. Plate I. Fig. J, represents a 

 specimen of the Lepidostrobus variabilis, with attached Lepido- 

 dendron, found in the limestone of the coal formation near to 

 Pettycur in Fifeshire, where this fossil has been long known to 

 the pupils of the class of natural history. We have preferred 

 figuring a specimen from Fifeshire, because it is more distinctly 

 characterised than that met with at Wardie. The stem and 

 fruit evidently occupy their natural position with regard to each 

 other. This is seen not only from their general appearance, but 

 also from their vascular connexion, which is obvious on minute 

 examination of the specimen. 



Lepicbjjhylla of various sizes, are very common throughout 

 the shale in this place, and frequently attached to them is a 

 small seed-like body, which, when compared with the divisions 

 of Lepidostrobus ornatus, are at once seen to be the same ; from 

 this fact, we imagine that ]\Iessrs Lindley and Hutton's conjec- 

 ture of Lepidophylla, being referred to some species of Lepi- 

 dostrobus, is correct, and that they are merely the scales or 

 bracteae of this class of plants. 



How beautiful, then, must these ancestral members of our 

 vegetation have been, when Lepidodendra waved their luxu- 

 riant branches crowned with Lepidostrobi, and these last being 

 imbricated with Lepidophylla, the whole bearing not a distant 

 resemblance to some of the Coniferse of the present day ; but 

 how stupendous must some of these have been, and how appa- 

 rently degenerated are those plants of our time which occupy the 

 place where they once flourished ! 



Besides the genera already noticed, and Avhich may be con- 

 sidered as characterising this locality, we may also mention some 

 genera which are not of frequent occurrence. 



Polyporites, The specimen I now exhibit to the Society, 

 appears to be the P. Bowmannii of the British Fossil Flora. 

 The general appearance of this fossil, its want of concen- 

 tric zones at one side, where it was supposed to have been 

 attached to some object of support, was the cause of the adop- 

 tion of this opinion. It is evident, however, that it must have 

 been quite coriaceous, and of considerable thickness, from its 

 having left such distinct impressions of the zones, and also from 



