90 REPORT— 1870. 



base of the stem. The specimens with larg;e branches sometimes met with, were 

 shown to belong to the subterranean rhizomes. 



The author then demonstrated the nature of the arenaceous and argillaceous casts 

 foimd in the shales and sandstones of the coal-measures. He pointed out that 

 these were casts of medullary cavities, formed after an almost complete absorption of 

 the medidlary cells had taken place. In one type, designated by the generic name 

 of Calatnopitus, these cavities were prolonged through the woody zone to the bark, 

 in the shape of a verticil of narrow canals occupying the upper part of each inter- 

 node, but located below and distinct from the true branches. The pai-allel longi- 

 tudinal grooves seen in the common specimens indicate the positions of the longi- 

 tudinal canals, whilst the intermediate ridges correspond with those of the large 

 medidlary rays separating the woody wedges. The carbonaceous covering usually 

 found adhering to these casts was described as throwing little or no light upon the 

 organization of these plants, and as being, consequently, a most treacherous guide 

 to their real nature and affinities. The general gi-owth of the woody zone was 

 shown to be exogenous, corresponding closely with that seen in the shoot of the 

 first year of an ordinary gymnospermous exogen. But the fructification of these 

 plants was proved to be cryptogamic. Hence we have in them a combination of 

 which no perfect parallel is seen amongst living plants. The author recognized 

 the close affinities of the Calamites with the living Equisetaceaj, but urged that they 

 should be divided into two genera, Calamites and Calanwpitus, and made into an 

 allied but distinct family of Calamitacese, and not actually incorporated Avith the 

 Equisetaceae. 



On the Palceontological Aspects of the Middle Glacial Formation of the East 

 of Emjland, and on their bearinr/ upon the Age of the Middle Hands of 

 Lancashire. Bg Seakles V, Wood, F. G.S., and F. W. Hakmer, F. G.S. 



The design of this paper was to caution the geologists of Lancashire against 

 too hastily correlating the sands termed the Middle Sands of Lancashire, in con- 

 sequence of tlieir being intercalated between the upper and lower boulder-clays of 

 that county, with the deposits of East Anglia, for some time described under the 

 term Middle Glacial. It was shown that while in the Lancashire deposits, as at 

 present investigated, none but recent shells had been found, the Middle Glacial 

 deposits contained several extinct crag forms. Whilst abstaining from expressing 

 any decided opinion as to the exact age of the Lancashire beds, it was pointed out 

 that the evidence at present obtained would lead to the belief that they were much 

 more recent than the Middle Glacial of the east coast, and not improbably of the age 

 of the Hessle gravel of Yorkshire (the fossils of which occur at PauU and Kelsea 

 in Holderness), a postglacial deposit which is overlain by postglacial boulder-clay 

 called the " Hessle clay." The shells of the middle sands at Blackpool Clifl", in 

 Lancashire, are very slightly fossilized, whereas those of the east of England beds 

 are as thoroughly fossilized as those of the Crag. Two lists of species obtained by 

 the authors from the East- Anglian Middle Glacial were given, — one of certain iden- 

 tifications, and the other of identifications more or less doubtful from the fragmen- 

 tary condition of the specimens. The former list contained the following, viz. 

 Buccinum undatum, var. tcnenim, Trophon muricatus, Fusus antiqims (dextral form), 

 F. scalariformis, Pmpura lapillus, ditto var. incrassata, Nassa incrassata, N. grami- 

 lata, N. 2nesio (a new crag species), MangeUa turricula, M. exarata, M. linearis, 

 Natica clausa, N. catena, N'. helicoides, N. Alderi, Scalaria Trevelyana, S. Green- 

 landica, Turritella incrassata (tripUcata of Brocchi), T.terebra, Cerithiuin tricinctum, 

 Chemnitzia internodula, Odostomin imidentata, Missoa inconspicua, Littorina litorea, 

 L. rudis, Margarita undidata, Capuhis Hungaricus, Cahjptrcea sinensis, Dentalitiin 

 dentalis, Anomia ephippium, Pecten opercularis, P. pusio, P. varius, Mgtilus edidis, 

 Pectimcidtis glgcimeris, Limopsispygmcea, Nucida Cohholdice, N. mwleus, Leda limatidd, 

 Cardium edide, Cardita scalaris, Loripes divaricatus, Lucina horealis, Astartc borealis, 

 A. sulcata, A. compiressa, A. Burtinii, A. Omalii, Ergcinella ovalis, Tapes (either 

 virgineus ov pid/astra) , Cgtherea rudis, Cyprinaislamlica, Vemcsjluctuosa, V.fasciata, 

 V, ovata, Tellina ohlupia, T. Balthica, T. crassa, Scrobicularia piperata, Maetru 



