Geological Society of London. 87 



tbo uniformity in thicknosH nnd character of tlio piHolitic oro band ovor ho largo an 

 area showod that it could not bo a lacustrine depobit. llo bad not as yot examined 

 the spheroids under the microscope. 



2. " Notes on the Structure of Sigillaria." By Principal Dawson, 

 F.E.S., F.G.S., Montreal. 



In this paper the author criticised the statements of Mr. Car- 

 ruthers on the structure of Sigillaria (see Q. J. G. S. xxv. p. 248). 

 He remarked that Sigillaria, as evidenced 1)3' his specimens, is not 

 coniferous ; that ^he coniferous trunks found in the Coal-formation 

 of Nova Scotia do not present discigerous tissue of the same type as 

 that of Sigillaria ; that no Conifer has a slender v^oody axis, sur- 

 rounded by an enormously thick bark ; that Calamodendron was 

 probably a Gymnosperm, and allied to Sigillaria ; that although 

 Stigmaria may not always show medullary rays, the distinct sepa- 

 ration of the wood into wedges is an evidence of their having 

 existed ; that the difference in minute structure between Sigillaria 

 and Stigmaria involves no serious difficulty, if the former be regarded 

 as allied to Cycadaceas; and further, that we do not know how many 

 of the Stigmarice belong to Sigillaria proper, or Favularia, or to 

 such forms as Clathraria and Leiodermn, which may have been 

 more nearly allied to Lepidophloios ; that the fruit figured by Golden- 

 berg as that of Sigillaria is more probably that of Lepidophloios, or 

 may be a male catkin with pollen ; and that he has found Trigono- 

 carpa scattered around the trunks of SigillaricB, and on the surface of 

 the soil in which they grew. He agreed with Mr. Carruthers in 

 regarding Mr. Binney's Sigillaria vascularis as allied to Lepido- 

 dendron. 



Discussion. — Prof. Morris thought that Clathraria and Lepidophloios ought to be 

 discriminated from the Sigillarice, as being rather more nearly allied with 

 cycadaceouB plants, especially the former. He pointed out the manner in -which 

 certain vascular bundles, communicating between the centre of the stem of 

 Sigillaria and allied genera and their bark, might be mistaken for medullary rays. 



3. " Note on some new Animal Eemains from the Carboniferous 

 and Devonian of Canada." By Principal Dawson, F.E.S., F.G.S. 

 Montreal. 



The author described the characters presented by the lower jaw of 

 an Amphibian, of which a cast had occurred in the coarse sandstone 

 of the Coal-formation between Eagged Eeef and the Joggins Coal- 

 mine. It measured six inches in length; its surface was marked on the. 

 lower and posterior part with a network of ridges enclosing rounded' 

 depressions. The anterior part of the jaw had contained about 16' 

 teeth, some of which remained in the matrix. These were stout,, 

 conical, and blunt, witli large pulp-cavities, and about 32 longi- 

 tudinal strise, corresponding to the same number of folds of dentine. 

 The author stated that this jaw resembled most closely those of 

 £aphetes and Dendrerpeton, but more especially the former. He 

 regarded it as distinct from Baphetes planiceps, and proposed for it 

 the name of B. minor. If distinct, this raises the number of species 

 of Amphibia from the Coal-measures of Nova Scotia to nine. 



The author also noticed some insect remains found by him in 



