FLORA OF CONGLOMEKATE GROUP. PP. 13 



teris muricata, Brt. and P. nervosa, Brt. are abundant in 

 the Conglomerate on New River, as well as in Alabama. 

 Besides these, we find as common to both localities Splien- 

 opteris obtusiloba, Brt., Alethopteris lonchitica, Brt., and 

 others. 



It may not be possible to establish by stratigraphy the 

 existence of the Conglomerate Group in Alabama, but the 

 identity of many of the plants, and the close resemblance 

 of the facies of the flora found on New River and in Ala- 

 bama point strongly to the Conglomerate age of at least 

 the lower portion of the Alabama Coals. 



If Mr. Richard P. Rothwell is correct in his report on 

 "Alabama Coal and Iron," quoted by Dr. Smith in the 

 above mentioned Report of Progress, the stratigraphy also 

 indicates the existence of the Conglomerate Group, for he 

 mentions two groups separated by a Conglomerate, and 

 states that the lower one contains 8 coal beds. 



One of us has had recently an opportunity to examine 

 a collection of plants made from the lower coals of East 

 Tennessee, and he found the species identical with those 

 existing in the Conglomerate on New River. We may then 

 conclude that a portion of the coal beds of this State are 

 also of Conglomerate age. 



There is a remarkable resemblance between the Conglom- 

 erate flora as determined in West Virginia, and that of the 

 lower coals of Ohio, up to coal No. 4, as given by Dr. New- 

 berry and Prof. Andrews. With few exceptions the plants 

 are identical, and the general facies of both floras differs 

 from that of the Productive Coal Measures. The finding 

 of plants in the Conglomerate of W. Va. similar to those 

 of Prof. Andrews, such as Archoeopteris and Megalopteris, 

 along with many of the species occurring with Coal No. 1 of 

 Ohio, seems to indicate no great difference in the age of the 

 three floras. Dr. Newberry states that in Ohio the flora of 

 Coal No. 1 is characteristic, that it changes with Coal No. 

 4, and that above the latter no divisions can be made in the 

 plants. 



Prof. Lesquereux gives Whittleseya elegans as found in 

 Alabama, and as it occurs nowhere else, except in the flora 



