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J^arch 7. — Dr R. K. Greville, V. P., in the cliair. Dr Robert Paterson 

 gkve an account of a nondescript fossil vegetable observed by him in the 

 shale near Newhaven. It consists essentially of a cylindrical head or cat- 

 kin^ with two 4ivisions. To this is attached a striated stem, with oc- 

 casional enlargements on it. It approaches, in general appearance, to 

 several living genera of plants, such as Typha, Equisetum, Piperomla, and 

 Pothos ; to the latter of which, however, it seems most closely allied. 

 The genus Pothos is now entirely a tropical one ; which circumstance 

 affords additional evidence of the great similarity which existed between 

 the plants which must have so luxuriantly flourished in this country at 

 the period when the coal strata were deposited, and those of tropical 

 climates at the present day. This fossil seems to be a rare one, only a 

 single specimen of it having hitherto been found. 



At the same meeting, Mr Robert Bald, mining-engineer, read an ac- 

 count of the Black Band Ironstone of Scotland, now in such great de- 

 mand for the production of cast iron. He stated that, less than forty 

 years ago, this rich stratum of ironstone, though repeatedly passed through 

 in working for coal, was not recognised as being of any value, but was 

 thrown on the rubbish-heap .is worthless. About thirty-four years ago, 

 liowever, Mr David Mushet, while crossing on foot a shallow part of thfe 

 river Clyde, took particular notice of this laj'er of ironstone : he regarded 

 it as being of a peculiar aspect, very different from any of the other ar- 

 gillaceous ironstones, being combined with a large portion of carbona- 

 ceous matter. It was thereafter wrought extensively and profitably by 

 the late Mr William Dixon, of the Calder Iron-Works, for more tli^n 

 fifteen years before any one thought of searching for a similar ironstone ; 

 in short, it was considered as a fortuitous matter, probably confined to a 

 very limited locality at the head of the Monkland Canal. By degrees, how- 

 ever, it began to be sought after ; and it has been ascertained to be a stra- 

 tum of very general occurrence in the coal- formation of Scotland. Scarce 

 a week passes without a new discovery of it ; so much so,'that it has al- 

 ready been found (chiefly by Mr Gcddes, partner of Mr Bald), in the 

 counties of Lanark, Ayr, Fife, Clackmannan, Dumbarton, Stirling, and 

 Mid-Lothian ; it occurs in our own neighbourhood, at the Dryden and 

 Gilmcrton Collieries, along with the edge coals. This Black Band Iron- 

 stone possesses the following remark.ible characters : it has carbonaceous 

 matter enough in its composition for calcination without the aid of coals. 

 When calcined, it has all the appearance of iron, and is very heavy ; in- 

 deed, lumps of it have been taken from the heap, and immediately, in a 

 smith's forge, made into a horse-shoe. Mr Bald stated, that with this 

 rich ironstone, aided by the hot-blast, those furnaces which, used to pro- 

 duce thirty-six tons of iron a- week, now readily afford 100 tons. He 

 added, that, a few years ago, there were only nine blast furnaces in Scot- 

 land ; but now there are forty-two, and more in progress. To give an 

 ' idea of the value of the Black Band, he mentioned, that Sir William Alex- 

 ander of Airdric, had let to an iron company a limttCd extent of this mi- 

 voL. xxvin. NO. LVi. — APHir. 1840. e e 



