Geological Gleanings. 127 



Fossil plants of Pennsylvania Coal Field. — "We are glad to 

 observe that M. Lesquereux and Professor Rogers have commenc- 

 ed the publication of the new species of coal plants from Pennsyl- 

 vania. 106 new species have been described in the Journal of 

 the Boston Society of Natural History. The results of compari- 

 son with European species are, that out of 200, 100 " are identical 

 with species already recognized in the European coal-fields, and 

 some 50 of them shew differences so slight that a fuller compari- 

 son with better specimens may result in their identification like- 

 wise." This is a result very similar to that previously deduced 

 by Mr. Bunbury and Sir C. Lyell from the comparison of speci- 

 mens from Nova Scotia and other parts of America, with the 

 European forms. The coal flora of the whole Northern hemis- 

 phere-was remarkably uniform, indicating great facilities for ex- 

 tensive migrations of plants from west to east, along with a very 

 equable climate. The geographical forms corresponding to such 

 conditions would be very different from those now existing. 



Supposed remains of Domestic Animals in Post-Pliocene De- 

 posits in South Carolina. — Prof. Holmes of Charleston College 

 has published a paper on this subject, which has attained some 

 celebrity, owing to its introduction into that eccentric piece of 

 ethnology, the " Indigenous races of the earth." The nature of the 

 points maintained by Prof. Holmes may be learned from the 

 following sentences : — 



"Now the evidence herein to be adduced will shew that anions: 

 the fossils in South Carolina from beds of this age — Post Pleio- 

 cene — some of which are exposed at Ashley Ferry, Goose Creek, 

 Stono, John's Island, and other localities, a number have been 

 found apparently belonging to animals having specific characters 

 in common, with recent or living species not considered indige- 

 nous to this country, such as the horse, hog, sheep, ox, etc. 



" A large collection of fossils from this interesting formation 

 were submitted by me about three years ago, to Prof. Leidy, of 

 Philadelphia, the eminent palaeontologist, for determination ; of 

 these a number were returned with the remark, that they appeared 

 to belong to recent species which had become accidental occupants 

 of the same bed with the true fossils. I held the opposite opinion, 

 and believed that these relics were indeed true fossil remains, as 

 they were obtained not only from the banks and deltas of rivers, 

 but a large number from excavations several feet below the surface, 

 and at a distance from any stream, creek, pond, bog or ravine; 



