462 Notices of Memoirs — British Association — 



If we may judge from the lithology, the conditions which 

 governed the formation of the ' skerry-belts ' of Nottinghamshire and 

 Leicestershire — namely, the arrival of floods of fresh water — probably 

 acted more persistently in the area under consideration, as a result of 

 its greater proximity to land. For not only are the beds very similar 

 to the 'skerries', but in the 'bone-bed' or marl conglomerate we 

 have positive evidence of littoral conditions. 



Thus we are not dealing with a pre-lihsetic incursion of the sea, 

 but with a littoral facies of the Keuper Marls, formed where the 

 water was at times sufficiently fresh to support a small fish-fauna and 

 in sufficient motion to move coarse sediments. 



m] 



(10) On the Fossil Floeas of the South Staffoedshiee Coal-field. 

 By E. A. Newell Akbee, M.A., Sc.D., F.G.S. 



IHE rich series of floras of the South Staifordshire Coal-field has 

 JL suffered much unfortunate neglect in the past. Several 

 collections have, it is true, been made from time to time, but with 

 very few exceptions they have never been described, and some of 

 them are without proper records of locality and horizon. For such 

 trustworthy records as exist we are chiefly indebted to Dr. Kidston 

 and to his memoir published as far back as 1888. The number of 

 species, the exact locality and horizon of which are recorded, is at 

 present as follows : — Keele Series 16, Halesowen Sandstone Series 0, 

 ? Brick Clay Series (Old Hill Marls) 8, Productive Measures 27, 



For some time past I have been endeavouring to extend our 

 knowledge of the fossil floras of this coal-field, and I have been 

 fortunate in receiving the active co-operation of several geologists 

 resident in Birmingham and the neighbourhood, who have most 

 kindly formed collections from particular areas, and forwarded the 

 specimens to me for examination and description. In this way the 

 material which I have myself been able to collect has been greatly 

 extended. My thanks are in particular due to Mr. H. Kav, F.G.S. , 

 Mr. W. H. Foxall, F.R.G.S., Mr. W. H. Hardaker, M.Sc, and 

 Mr. L. Jackson for their enthusiastic co-operation. 



Attention has been chiefly concentrated so far on the floras of the 

 Brick Clays, and of the lowest beds of the Productive Measures on or 

 about the horizon of the Bottom Coal. A considerable number of 

 species have been obtained from both horizons, of which some are 

 new records both to the coal-field and to Britain. This work is still 

 in progress. Information has also been obtained as to the horizon 

 and localities in which the petrified specimens, long known from 

 this coal-field, occur, such information having been lost for many 

 years past. 



In addition the first fossil plants from the Halesowen Sandstone 

 Series have been unearthed by Mr. Kay, and here again both 

 petrifactions and impressions occur. 



It is hoped that in course of time it will be possible to trace the 

 floras systematically from the lowest to the highest beds of the Coal- 

 measures of this coal-field. The material, however, has to be 

 obtained as opportunity offers, and this preliminary note is intended 

 merely to indicate the present progress of the work. 



