yiii. 



DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES OF FOSSIL PLANTS 

 FROM ALLEGHANY CO., VIRGINIA; WITH SOME RE- 

 MARKS ON T.HE ROCK SEEN ALONG THE CHESA- 

 PEAKE AND OHIO RAILROAD, NEAR THE WHITE 

 SULPHUR SPRINGS OF GREENBRIER COUNTY, WEST 

 VIRGINIA. 



BY F. B. MEEK. 



(Reap June 15, 1872.) 



While on a visit last summer at the White Sulphur Springs 

 of Greenbrier County, West Virginia, I saw, in the possession of 

 a gentleman near that place, a beautiful specimen of a fossil fern, 

 that had been found at Lewis's tunnel, on the Chesapeake and 

 Ohio Railroad, some six miles southeast of the springs. Being 

 much impressed with its elegant form, and fine state of preserva- 

 tion, I concluded to stop at the locality on my return home, with 

 the view of examining the rocks, and collecting such specimens 

 as could be found; and, while there, I succeeded in procuring 

 the species described in this paper.* 



The masterly preliminary reports and papers of Prof William 



B. Rogers, on the territory now composing Virginia and West 

 Virginia, have rendered the grand general features of the geology 

 of those States so familiar to most scientific readers, that any 

 extended remarks on that subject are unnecessary here."!" For 

 the information, however, of those who may never have visited 

 this interesting mountain region, as well as to convey a more 

 clear idea of the geological horizon of the fossils under considera- 

 tion, it may be proper, before proceeding to describe these plants, 

 to state a few of the details of the geology and topography of the 

 country immediately surrounding the springs, as well as for a few 

 miles west of the same, and eastward along the railroad to the 

 locality of Lewis's tunnel, where these fossils were discovered. 



* I am under obligations to Gren. W. C. Wickham, Vice-President of 



C. and 0. Railroad, for a letter to the conductors of passenger trains, in- 

 structing them to stop and allow me to get off at any points I might wish 

 to examine along the road; also to H. D. Whitcomb, Esq., Chief Engineer 

 of the road, and to Maj. Peyton Randolph, Chief Assistant Engineer, for 

 accurate maps of portions of the country along the same, and for other 

 information. I am also indebted to Mr. J. .J. Gordon, one of the contractors 

 of Lewis's tunnel, and to Mr. Terrence McGlone, for fine specimens of the 

 fossil plants found at that place. 



t It is much to be regretted that Prof. Rogers's final reports on the 

 Greology of Virginia, which I understand were prepared in much detail, 

 were never published. 



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