3 50 Dr Patcrson on the Fossil Organic Remains 



its yet retaining great thickness, at least for a fossil vegetable. 

 Although Messrs Lindley and Hutton are inclined to believe 

 that their fossil was a fungus, they admit that certain objections 

 might be brought against it. " These consist in the lines in the 

 spaces where the surface is broken off not being in accordance 

 with the radial lines near the margin ; this, however, may have 

 been caused by the pressure of another fungus l)'ing in a some- 

 what different direction, or that the pileus was two or three 

 layers in thickness." It appears more probable, however, that 

 their first explanation is most satisfactory, and that there was only 

 one pileus; that the want of the radial lines in their specimens and 

 in ours, which seem to be precisely similar in the small portions 

 referred to, is in consequence of the pileus being removed and 

 retained on the opposite side of the shale. That it was cellular 

 on its lower surface, and probably throughout like other poly- 

 pori, appears to me, first, from the appearance of the detached 

 portions of the surface as before mentioned ; and, secondly, 

 from the difficulty, nay, impossibility, to separate the lower sur- 

 face of the fossil from the shale in which it is contained. This 

 must be in consequence of the shale, when in a fluid state, enter- 

 ing the pores on the lower surface, and thus becoming complete- 

 ly incorporated with the fossil as the deposition proceeded. 



Knorria. The next specimen I exhibit may be referred to 

 the Kno7-ria taxina of fossil botanists ; it bears the termination 

 of a branch which is very similar to the fruit-bearing branches 

 of our common yew. Sphcerida paradoxa, Puacites cocoina, 

 Antholiies PitcairnicE, species of Bechera undetermined, and 

 Fucoides Targionii, sum up the list of fossil vegetables. There 

 are many, however, which we have not been able to name, but 

 which we hope to be able to communicate at a future time. 



2. Fossil Remains of Animals. 

 In turning frtm the vegetable to the animal remains of this 

 locality, we cannot commence with any which are more interest- 

 ing, or which have of late attracted more notice than the Ento- 

 mostraca, the external coverings of which, of a white egg-shell 

 appearance, contrast beautifully with the dark-coloured carbo- 

 naceous slate in which they occur. 



