SECTION AT TIIK FERN LEDGES. 517 



richly with beautifully preserved remains of plants, among which are 

 the following species : — 



Calamites transitionis, Goeppert. Occasional, in large, erect 

 specimens. — AsteroplujUites latifolia, Daws. Extremely abun- 

 dant, often showing ten or twelve whorls of leaves, sometimes 

 with many branches. — A. acicularis, Daws. Also very abun- 

 dant. — (?) A. longifulia, Brongn. — A. scutigera, Daws. The 

 curious stems of this species, with their scale-armed nodes, 

 occur abundantly in this bed. — Sphenophyllum antiquumy 

 Daws. — Pecopteris obscura, Lesqx. — Hphcnopteris sp. ? — 

 Cardiocarpum cornutian, Daws. Rare. — Psiiophyton eleganSj 

 Daws. Occasional. I have never detected any trace of 

 Cordaites Eobbii, Daws., in this bed. It is extremely common 

 in the overlying strata. 

 Gray sandstones and flags, with occasional ill-preserved plants, Cala- 

 mites transitionis, Goeppt., Cordaites Robbii^ Daws. — Asteroiihi/llites 

 and Sternbergioi ..... 2 feet 6 inches. 

 Black arenaceous shales of the same character as those 



of No. 1, but without fossils, so far as I have examined 1 1 inches. 



Compact flaggy, gray sandstone, with badly preserved 



plant remains, Calamites, etc. .... 2 feet. 



Very soft, dark, lead-coloured shales, much slicken-sided 

 and charged with fragments of plants. This bed is 

 so soft that the action of the weather and the sea have 

 everywhere denuded it to the level of the beach . . 4 feet. 



Plant-bed No. 2 ...... 1 foot. 



At the point where the section crosses the bed, and where I first 

 discovered it, it consists of very compact and hard, light lead- coloured, 

 slate-like, arenaceous shale ; but the character of the shale varies 

 much in its different exposures, being sometimes very soft and fissile, 

 and of a very black colour. The following is the list of species which 

 it affords : — 



Calamites transitionis, Goeppt. Occasionally ; never in good 

 specimens. — C. ca7ina;formis, Brongn. Occasionally ; never 

 in good specimens. — Asterophgllites acicidaris, Daws. Rather 

 rare. — A. latifolia, Daws. Rather rare. — A. long/folia, Bvougn. 

 Rather rare. — A. j)arvula, Daws. AVhorls of a minute 

 Asterophgllitf's, which may belong to this species, are not 

 infrequent in this bed. — Annularia acuminata, Daws. — 

 Pinnularia dispalans, Daws. Abundant. — Psiiophyton elegans. 

 Daws. Quite common, ahvays in fragments, never in good 

 specimens. — P. glabriim, Daws. Flattened stems, with a wavy 



