342 Notice of a Scientific Expedition. 



which belongs to the same formation as this. As sufficient advances 

 has not as yet been made in vegetable anatomy to distinguish species 

 by their anatomical structure, it would be premature to attempt to 

 refer vegetable fossils to particular species. So much as this, how- 

 ever, may be known of the ordinal relations of a plant. In respect 

 to this one under consideration, we do not hesitate to pronounce it 

 a coniferous plant. The woody structure is discernible by the naked 

 eye, especially when the section is held between the eye and a 

 strong light. It is remarked by Mr. Witham, and the same fact has 

 been noticed by myself, that the texture of fossils is coarser than that 

 of vegetables of the present day, a fact which proves in part, that the 

 climate in which they grew, was at least milder than the present tem- 

 perate zones. Fig. 6, is an outline of a vegetable fossil I obtained 

 at South Joggins. It was taken from the shale and appeared to have 

 been flattened by pressure, but a careful examination will convince 



* 



any one that this was its natural shape. This relic belongs to the 

 monocotyledonous order of vegetables, for the following reasons ; 

 1st, it has no central axis or pith ; 2d, it is destitute of medullary 

 rays ; 3d, it has no bark. The exterior is black, and when the 

 shale is entirely removed, shining. The end which had been ex- 

 posed to the weather exhibits a dark portion penetrating it in various 

 directions, and another somewhat fibrous in appearance and which 

 run through it longitudinally ; the first shows no organic structure. 

 A transverse section magnified about four times is shown in Fig. 7. 

 In the figure both of the portions spoken of are seen. Fig. 8, is a 

 longitudinal section magnified with the same power. It would be 

 difficult to distinguish this stem from a Lepidodendron by the micro- 

 scope simply; but the latter has a bark and pith, while this has neith- 

 er ; it however resembles the Lepidodendron in being destitute of 

 medullary rays. Fig. 9, is a transverse section of the same stem 

 magnified fifty times. This stem is mineralized by the oxide of iron 

 mixed with a large quantity of carbon. Specific gravity 2-53. The 

 vessels are generally of a polygonal shape and quite regular in this 

 respect, throughout the whole stem. Wishing to pursue this subject 

 one step farther, I prepared a section of fossil wood from the green- 

 sand of New Jersey. It is represented in Fig. 10, magnified fifty 

 times. That it belongs to the dicotyledonous order of vegetables 

 cannot be doubted, and it does not appear perfectly like a coniferous 

 plant. It has medullary rays and distinct anual layers. Its struc- 

 ture as seen under the microscope shows it to be more allied to the 



