170 Scientific PrwredincfS, Uoi/cd Dublin Society. 



its impression at all closely. Decorticated specimens and ^«o/7-*a- casts are 

 also extremely frequent. A fragment of a slightly decorticated young stem, 

 picked up on the shore, 500 yards north-west of Oarrickmore Dyke, and 

 no doubt derived from one of the quarries in the cliffs between the dyke and 

 Ballyvoy Pier, is shown on Plate XI, fig. 10. The leaf-scars and the keels 

 of the leaf-bases are not seen, though the shape of the leaf-bases and the 

 characteristic bands of bark enable one to identify it with Lepidodendron 

 Veltheimi, Sternb. This impression is not very dissimilar to the type specimen 

 of Sternberg, which is also a decorticated branch. 



The form of the leaf-bases of an older branch, also somewhat decorticated, 

 is seen on Plate XII, fig. 15 ; a specimen from Bally castle in shale, in the 

 Geological Survey Collection, Dublin, and formerly labelled Lepidodendron 

 Sternbergi. The leaf-bases here are very much broader in proportion to 

 their length. Somewhat similar conditions have been figured by Stur 

 (" Culm Flora," see above, pt. 2, pi. xxxvii, fig. 5) and Renier (Paleont. 

 Terr, houill. 1910, pi. v). 



Turning now to specimens showing the true external surface, that figured 

 on Plate X, fig. 2, shows a very characteristic condition of this plant, as 

 seen in an impression. The bands of bark between the leaf-bases, and the 

 form of the leaf-scar, and the ridged keel are clearly seen. This specimen 

 was collected from the waste heap of White Mine Colliery, Ballycastle. 

 The prominence of the bands of bark appears to depend, partly on the age 

 of the branch, and partly on the degree to which the leaf-bases have been 

 compressed. Another impression, figured on Plate XII, fig, 13, from the 

 same locality as the last, shows a somewhat dissimilar state. The wax cast 

 of this impression, figured on Plate XII, fig. 11, shows that the leaf-bases are 

 here very prominent, and have to a large degree escaped becoming flattened 

 on to the stem, as has frequently happened in other cases. This specimen, 

 and especially the impression shown on fig, 2, exhibit the essential characters 

 of the species as outlined in the above diagnosis. 



On the large blocks of sandstone, ejected from the quarries in the face of 

 the cliff near Ballyvoy Pier, there are several large casts of Lepidodendron, 

 one, which is referable to this species, being two feet in length. Another, 

 a decorticated Lepidodendron, is 15 inches across. There are also several 

 specimens showing various stages in decortication, the more advanced of 

 which superficially resemble casts of Sigillaria. The plant recorded by 

 Baily, as Sigillaria reniformis, may possibly be of this nature, but I have 

 not seen this specimen, which is stated to be in shale. 



