14 PP. REPORT OF PROGRESS. FONTAINE & WHITE. 



of Coal No. 1 of Ohio, it is a very significant bond of union 

 between this bed and the Alabama Coals. 



Taken as a whole, the flora of the conglomerate group 

 has a well characterized facies which distinguishes it from 

 that of the Vespertine below, and from that of the Pro- 

 ductive Coal Measures above. It retains some of the Ves- 

 pertine types, in the Archaeopterids, and possibly the Me- 

 galopterids, (though the latter have not as yet been found 

 in the Vespertine of W. Va., but in Canada are Devoni- 

 an.) It possesses a large number of plants peculiar to it- 

 self, or not found above it. Among these we may mention 

 the large coarse Alethopterids, A. grandifolia and several 

 varieties of. the A. lonchitica, along with the typical form ; 

 the peculiar Odontopteris neuropteroides ; Neuropteris 

 Smithiana, and many others. Again it possesses a consid- 

 erable quota of plants which, with specific changes, pass 

 up into the Productive Coals. 



Aletbopteris lonchitica, and its varieties, is a plant highly 

 characteristic of the group. The Pecopterids are few, and 

 in the case of the P. muricata, and P. nervosa, which are 

 perhaps the most abundant, show composite types, includ- 

 ing the features of the true Pecopterids, with those of the 

 Neuropterids, and Sphenopterids. These not fully differ- 

 entiated forms find their analogues in the composite type 

 shown in a gronp of Sphenopterids, which is especially 

 characteristic of the Conglomerate flora. This group, in- 

 cluding Sphenopteris macilenta, L. & H. ; S. obtusiloba, 

 Brt. ; S. latifolia, Brt., and others, retains the facies of the 

 obtusely lobed Triphyllopterids, in conjunction with fea- 

 tures marking the true Sphenopterids, and Pecopterids. 



The Productive Coal Measures. 



This as a whole, is distinguished from the Conglomerate 

 group, by the greater uniformity of the conditions under 

 which the various strata and Coal beds, were formed. As 

 stated in another connection, this group is naturally divided 

 into sub-groups, each of which requires a separate descrip- 

 tion. We will commence with the lowest of these : 



