334 MESOZOIC FLORAS OF UNITED STATES. 



at a glance that the plant remains had been floated some distance and 

 become considerably macerated, so that only the thicker parts were 

 preserved — stems, twigs, cones, etc. The more delicate organs and 

 parts had disappeared entirely. Still, from the nature of the flora these 

 thicker parts proved sufficiently characteristic to afford a fair idea of 

 the principal types. Conifers predominated and the same jointed stems 

 observed in the Arkansas Trinity were here much better preserved. 

 These, as stated, represented the genus Frenelopsis. Tolerably well- 

 preserved cones also occurred. Cycadaceous leaves were common, and 

 a small WilUamsonia, also a slender Equisetum. We did not have 

 faciUties for quarrying farther into the rock, and as Mr. Harvey had 

 done a good deal of this kind of work, and as certain seams inaccessible 

 to us promised better specimens, I engaged him to work the beds thor- 

 oughly, make as large a collection as possible, and ship it to Washington. 



Just above the plant-yielding stratum is one of rougher material 

 containing sheUs, .and covered with stems resembling fucoids, some of 

 which, however, may be the larger branches of coniferous plants. Con- 

 siderable lignite also occurs in connection with these. 



Three miles farther up the Paluxy occur extensive beds of a remark- 

 able fossil, also common elsewhere at this horizon, which Mr. Hill had 

 called Goniohna," a genus that Saporta and Marian had referred to the 

 vegetable kingdom.'' Mr. Hill in his Prehminary Check List, cited 

 above (p. XVIH), had referred to this fossil as "the peculiar globular 

 foraminifera-like form, which has been called Gadolina by d'Orbigny," 

 the word "Gadolina" being a misprint for Goniohna. 



I spent considerable time in collecting representative specimens of 

 this form, and especially in studying its relation to the fucoid-like objects 

 with which it seemed to be always associated. Long, sinuous, and 

 branching stems lying in relief on the rocks, but containing no trace of 

 vegetable matter, have these spherical bodies lying beside them at irregu- 

 lar intervals, strongly suggesting an original organic attachment ; but no 

 actual attachment could be made out, though specimens were collected 

 in which the two cohere. This, however, may be accidental. These 



a Occurrence of Goniolina in the Comanche series of the Texas Cretaceous, by Robert T. Hill : Am. Journ. 

 Sci., 3d. ser., Vol. XL, July, 1890, pp. 64-65. 



b L'Evolution du Regne Vegetal. Les Phanerogames, Vol. I, Paris, 1883, pp. 247-249. 



