FORMATION OF CONNECTICUT AND MASSACHUSETTS. 295 



3. The cross section shows the mouths 3. This agrees with Conifera, and the 

 of the woody fibre to be of nearly uniform cross section agrees strikingly with the 

 size, and no large openings belonging- to structure of this tube. 



dotted ducts, or spiral vessels, can be seen. 



4. The longitudinal section shows straight 4. This is like Conifera. 

 parallel tubes of uniform size, and occasion- 

 al medullary plates. 



5. These tubes do not show decidedly 5. If this tree was, as I am inclined to 

 the peculiar glands which distinguish the believe, one of the Conifera, the apparent 

 Conifera, but present various figures, from absence of the glands may be accounted for 

 the formation within them of microscopic by their obliteration during slow petrifac- 

 agates. tion. The agate-like arrangement of the 



silica in many portions favors the view. 



" Plate XIII, fig. 1, shows the wood, as seen under a low power 

 of my microscope. A higher power showed nothing in addition. 

 tI is a cross section, showing the mouths of several radiant rows of 

 fibre, and one medullary plate, a a. ^ is a longitudinal section, pre- 

 senting no peculiar markings. C is also longitudinal, and presents 

 at a exactly the form of a glandular disc of conifera^, but this is ac- 

 cidental, being produced by a microscopic agate ; other forms of 

 these agates are shown at h h. I would be glad to learn something 

 more of this tree, its particular locality, whether it presents, on a larger 

 piece, any concentric annual rings, whether it has a pithy centre, &:c." 



These results by Prof. Bailey, will not, indeed, afford any de- 

 cisive evidence as to the exact position on the geological scale, of 

 the formation containing this fossil tree, for the Coniferm extend 

 through nearly all the fossiliferous rocks. But such facts can 

 hardly fail to be ultimately serviceable, in perfecting the geology 

 of the Connecticut valley. 



In blasting a large bowlder of dark gray sandstone, on Mount 

 Holyoke in IVIassachusetts, for the foundation of the new church 

 in Hadley, several fossil plants were brought to light ; but all of 

 them were destroyed except the fragment shown of the natural 

 size in Plate XIII, fig. 2, which was kindly presented to me by 

 the architect. Col. Warren Howland. I immediately recognized 

 it as a Tmniopteris, showing only the views on one side of the 

 midrib, the other side having been broken off as the stone was 

 split. Very probably it is the Tceniopteris vittafa, figured by 

 Prof Brown, in his '' Letho'a Geog-nosfica,'^ Tab. XII, fig. 2. 

 Col. Howland informs me that some of these impressions were 

 nearly two feet long. 



