ii8 Cash: The Fossil Phints of the Yorkshire Coal Measures. 



much rarer, and in the area under our consideration are almost 

 exclusively restricted to specimens found in the coal nodules of 

 the Halifax Hard Bed. In these petrifactions the conditions of 

 fossilisation have permitted the smallest cells of the plant tissue 

 to be filled with transparent carbonate of lime, and the cell 

 walls have been mineralised in such a way that on making" thin 

 slices of the fossil and mounting them as microscopic objects, 

 the minutest details are shown, and that as clearly as in sections 

 from recent plants ; spores, stomata, cell structure, wood, bast, 

 leaf tissue being all preserved. On sending some such prepara- 

 tions to the late Charles Darwin, no wonder that he wrote : — 

 * It is marvellous to see structure so admirably preserved for so 

 many ages.' 



Let those who may think they have not the skill to prepare 

 microscopic slides of these wonderful fossil plants, be not dis- 

 couraged on that account, for there is an easier way of showing" 

 up their minute structure, as follows : — having broken a coal 

 nodule containing plant remains, rub the flat face of the specimen 

 on a slab of stone until a smooth surface is produced, then dip 

 the specimen for a short time in a dilute solution of hydro- 

 chloric acid, wash well in clean water, and wipe dry, when 

 shortly the structure of the plant will show itself as a whitish 

 pattern on a dark ground. I well remember how my old friend 

 James Binns (whilst working as a quarr\man, and at that time 

 quite unable to purchase so costly a machine as a lapidary's 

 wheel) told me that he had rubbed holes in two sink stones in his 

 kitchen, preparing sections of coal plants in the manner above 

 described.* 



The Naming of Specimens may be done in several ways : — 



1. Robert Kidston, Esq., F. R.S., F.G.S., 12 Clarendon 

 Place, Stirling, N.B. , has kindly permitted us to say that he 

 will name and return any specimens of Fossil Coal Plants sent 

 to him for identification. As he is a recognised authority on 

 the subject, he off'ers a fine opportunity to any student taking 

 up the subject of Fossil Botany. 



2. For our own part, we shall be pleased to ad\ ise an\one 



• To those who, whilst wiUinj^ to collect spi-cinu'iis, vet flight sh\- of pre- 

 parhig micro slides, we can confidently recommend tiie availiiiijf themselves 

 of assistance from the well-known expert, Mr. James Lomax, of 65, 

 Starcliffe Street, Great Lever, Bolton. lie, for a small sum (from 6d. or is. 

 per slide and upwards, accordinic to size), will cut desired sections from 

 material sc-nl him for that ))ui-])<)sc. lie also sends out excellent elementary 

 collections of typical coal plant micro slides, accurately named and localised, 

 at a moderate cost. 



Naturalist, 



