Dr. Nicholson — On Plants in the Skiddaiu Slates. 497 



B. radiata consists of detached whorls of tapering leaves (?), 

 meeting in a common centre, narrow at their origin, and gradually 

 widening out to terminate in blunt rounded extremities. The size of 

 tlie whorls varies a good deal, the shape being circular or somewhat 

 elliptical. The number of rays in each whorl varies from ten to 

 twenty-five, their length being from a quarter to more than three- 

 quarters of an inch, and their breadth at the extremities being from 

 one-twentieth of an inch to over a line. The colour of the fossil is 

 nearly black, and its texture, like that of the last, is of a much 

 coarser grain than the enveloping matrix. 



It is even more difficult than in the case of B. Harhnessii to 

 imagine what this can be if not a plant, its form not being that 

 ordinarily assumed by phytoid animals. It seems, however, pretty 

 certain that if its vegetable nature be conceded, it can hardly be re- 

 ferred to the Algge. 



Log. — Upper beds of the Skiddaw Slates, Thornship Beck, near 

 Shap, 



Eophyton (?) palmatum, n. sp. (PI. XVIIL, Fig. o.) — Unlike the two 

 preceding forms, this exhibits no distinct organic structure, but pre- 

 sents itself merely as an impression upon the surface of the stone. The 

 textui'e of the rock is so coarse that nothing further than the shape 

 of the fossil can be stated. It consists of a central stem, about two 

 lines in width, which gives off alternately on both sides fan-shaped 

 expansions, which are narrow at their origin, but widen out rapidly 

 till a breadth of about three-quarters of an inch may be attained. 

 A similar fan- shaped expansion terminates the stem, and all are 

 marked with numerous sub-parallel or slightly diverging ridges. 



Having only a single fragmentary specimen, it is not possible to 

 fix accurately the position of this fossil, but it agrees in its longi- 

 tudinal furrowing with EopJiyton, and may be placed here in the 

 meanwhile. Its characters are, I think, such that it can hardly be 

 ascribed to the action of marine worms, and it is chiefly for this 

 reason that I have been induced to describe it. It also exhibits a 

 much greater affinity to the Algae than does either of the previously 

 described forms. 



Loc. — Lower beds of the Skiddaw Slates, Barfi", near Keswick, 



Chondrites (?) (PI. XVIII., Pig. d.) — Besides the above I possess a 

 specimen from the Skiddaw Slates which is, probably, referable to the 

 genus Chondrites. I do not describe it, however, as it possibly may 

 belong to the Graptolitidce, and its state of preservation is such that this 

 point can not be decided. It consists of a branching and re-branch- 

 ing frond, the branches of which have a uniform width of little less 

 than a line, and terminate in rounded extremities. The branches are 

 flexuous, and are given off alternately in a sub-dichotomous manner. 

 The surface of the specimen is so much discoloured with iron that 

 no details of structure can be made out. 



Though larger and less branched, this fossil is not unlike the 

 Chondrites verisimilis of the Ludlow Rocks of the Pentland Hills, 

 which Mr. Salter fully admits to be a true fucoid (Mem. Geol. Survey 

 of Scotland, No. 31, p. 134). As many branched Graptolites, however, 



VOL. YI.— NO. LXV. 32 



