266 



impression of leaves, branches, and seeds, but no 

 shells, or any kind of animal remains : there was 

 one perfect fern leaf, but my uncle says, of an un- 

 known family, and a great many reeds. There 

 was also, a flat block of greyish freestone, on 

 which the regular scales of some seed vessel, like 

 a very large fir cone, were deeply marked ; and on 

 another, I am sure I could distinctly trace the im- 

 bricated form and the spines of the common prickly 

 pear of the Brazils. Indeed, my uncle thinks 

 that all these vegetable remains seem nearly al- 

 lied to the plants of tropical climates ; and he 

 says, it would be a most interesting employment 

 for some naturalist to devote himself to the study 

 of what might be called subterranean botany. 

 These coal measures occupy several drawers ; for 

 besides the Staffordshire, Newcastle, and other 

 coals, he has specimens of the seventeen coal 

 beds of the forest of Dean, and a large collection 

 of their organic remains, which he has taken 

 great pains in arranging. 



The next drawers contain the supermedial 

 series, beginning with the magnesian limestone, 

 new red sandstone, and red marl. There are 

 very large districts of this formation in the cen- 

 tral parts of England, and they include the great 

 deposits of rock-salt, which is of so much import- 

 ance, he says, to the empire. Considerable beds 

 of gypsum are also found ; but it contains no 

 organic remains of either animals or vegetables. 



