SECTION AT THE FEKN LEDGES. 



523 



appears to be limited to it. The unique specimen figured in Dawson's 

 Paper ' On the Flora of the Devonian Period, etc.' (plate xvii. fig. 52), 

 came from this bed. I obtained here a magnificent frond of Neurop- 

 teris polfjmorpha^ Daws., showing its structure finely, and the different 

 forms of the pinnules in different situations on the frond. Many of 

 the species common in the underlying beds are also to be found in 

 this ; but I am unable to give a complete list. 



Total thickness of the beds embraced in this section . 444 ft. 1 1 in." 



Fauna of the Devonian Plant-beds of St John. 



It will be necessary to devote a separate chapter to the interesting 

 plant-remains of St John, which present to us a picture of the 

 vegetation of the world at a period anterior to that of the great 

 coal-deposits, more perfect, pei'haps, than that to be obtained in any 

 other known locality. I shall notice here some small crustaceans 

 and worms which lived in the waters into which these plants were 

 drifted and four species of Insects, the very oldest known to geo- 

 logists, and which flitted through the old Devonian woods. 



Fig. 179 (a, h). — Euryptcrus pidicarls. Fig. 180. — Ampldpeltis po.radoxus. 



Attached to some of the fossil plants in the Cordaite shales, we 

 liave, just as in the Coal formation, shells of Spirorbis. I have 

 not been able to satisfy myself as to whether these arc the familiar 

 *S'. carbonarius of the coal or a distinct species. The crustaceans 

 found with them arc of two species, one, a little shrimp-like creature, 

 belongs to the genus Euryptcrus. It was found by Mr Matthews, 

 and has been described by Mr Salter as E. pulicaris (Fig. 179). 

 The other is of higher type, perhaps allied to the modern Stonuiijods, 

 and has been named by Mr Salter, to whom I sent the specimen, 



