1853.] LYELL AND DAWSON REPTILE AND LAND SHELL. 61 



in a lower part of the coal-measures of Nova Scotia, at Horton Bluff, 

 "which foot-prints might well correspond in size with the larger animal 

 found in the South Joggins tree, assuming that the small vertebrae 

 indicate a distinct species. Dr. Gesner has also mentioned in a letter 

 to one of the authors, that he has discovered in the lower coal- 

 measures of Parsborough a smaller series of foot-prints supposed to 

 be those of an individual about 5 inches long, or of the size of the 

 common small lizard of Nova Scotia. The mark of the tail between 

 the rows of tracks is, he says, very perfect. These impressions de- 

 serve notice, as they may possibly have some relation to the smaller 

 of the two reptiles above noticed. 



The only indication of reptilian life detected in America previously 

 to this discovery, in rocks of such high antiquity, were confined to 

 foot-prints in the coal of Pennsylvania. 



The following section, extracted from our field-notes, being part 

 of a more complete list of the South Joggins strata, is given to enable 

 the reader to understand the exact position of the fossil tree in which 

 the bones occur. We have also subjoined a description of the strata 

 immediately above and below the bed where the bones were found. 

 The locality is that part of the South Joggins coast where vertical 

 trees are most frequent, about half a mile eastward of the Coal Pier. 

 A thickness of 600 feet of strata intervenes between the main coal, 

 called the King's Vein, which is higher in the series, and the reptile- 

 bearing bed. No. 5, see fig. p. 62, there being several thousand feet of 

 well-characterized carboniferous strata both above and below the rocks 

 containing the fossil forests. The dip at the place where the bones 

 were met with is to the south 25° west, at an angle of 20°. The beds 

 in the following section are mentioned in the descending order. 



ft. in. 



1. Grey sandstone (Grindstone), with prostrate carbonized 



trees and fragments of vegetable matter 25 



(This bed is about 550 feet below the main coal.) 



2. Alternations of shale and bluish argillaceous sandstone, 



with two erect fluted trees, one of them with Stigmarian 



roots spreading in shale 3 feet above next bed 14 



3. Coal and bituminous shale, with Sigillaria, Stigmaria, 



Lepidodendron, Calamites, and Poacites or Nceggera- 



thiul 14 



4. Underclay, with rootlets of Stigmaria, resting on grey 



shale, with two thin layers of coaly matter S 10 



5. Grey sandstone, with three erect trees, one having Stig- 



marian roots ; erect Calamites and stems of unknown 

 plants. {One of the erect trees in this bed contained 

 the bones, teeth, Sfc. and land-shell above-mentioned.) 9 



6. Coal G 



7. Underclay, with Stigmaria rootlets 2 



The bed No. 1 forms a high cliff and projecting reef, behind which 

 the shore recedes and takes for a short space the direction of the 

 strike of the beds. Owing to this circumstance an unusuallv large 



