82 Proceedings of the Boyal Plujsical Society. 



VII. On the Occurrence of Spores in the Carboniferous For- 

 mation of Scotland. By James Bennie, Esq., of the 

 Geological Survey of Scotland, and Egbert 

 KiDSTON, Esq, F.E.S.E., F.G.S.i [Plates III.-VI.] 



(Read 21st April 1886.) 



The occurrence of spores in coal has been known for many 

 years, though for a considerable time after their discovery 

 they were regarded as sporangia, and it is only within the 

 last few years that their true nature has been understood. 



In 1833, Witham, while describing the microscopic struc- 

 ture of coal with the object of proving its vegetable origin, 

 figures in his now classic work on the " Internal Structure 

 of Fossil Vegetables found in the Carboniferous and Oolitic 

 Deposits of Great Britain," several sections of coals from 

 different localities. On his PL XL, Figs. 4, 5, he gives a 

 transverse and longitudinal section of " some species of 

 cannel coal from Lancashire." Of this he says : — '* I have 

 certainly found traces of organisation" {I.e., p. 50). "The 

 appearances, however, are so undecided, that, although I 

 should be inclined to consider them indicative of a mono- 

 cotyledonous plant, I shall not venture upon any conjecture 

 respecting them." What Mr Witham here mistakes for the 

 vessels of a monocotyledonous plant are numerous macro- 

 spores embedded in the coal. This is, as far as we are 

 aware, the first figure or note of the occurrence of spores in a 

 fossil condition. 



Professor Morris was the earliest writer to figure isolated 

 fossil macrospores, though he regarded them as sporangia. 

 He says in the description of his Lepidodendron (Lycopodites) 



^ Almost all the specimens referred to in this communication have been 

 collected by Mr James Bennie while carrying on his official duties in connec- 

 tion with the Geological Survey of Scotland. 



At the request of Dr A. Geikie, Director-General of the Geological Survey 

 of Great Britain, I undertook the examination of the spores — a work that has 

 given me great pleasure, and for which I tender him my thanks. My portion 

 of this paper, therefore, is entirely botanical, the geological part being con- 

 tributed bv Mr Bennie.— R. K. 



