22 GEOLOGICAL MEMOIRS. 



may be said of the terrestrial vegetation of the Coal Period, as com- 

 pared with that of the present day. 



2. In America, as in Europe, the first land-plants appear to have 

 a very isolated distribution, and belong to known families and genera 

 of the Coal- flora {LycopodlacecB, Filices, and Asterophyllites) mingled 

 with marine plants (Fucoids), which last belong to certain strata, as 

 those of the Cypridina-schist, perhaps exclusively. 



3. In the Carboniferous Limestone Plants are already numerous, 

 and Fucoids wanting, at least they have not yet been discovered. To 

 the families that have appeared earlier, are now added Ferns in greater 

 variety, as also Stigmarice, Sigillarice, Noeggerathice, and ConifercB, 

 the last partly without annual rings. With the small number of Ferns 

 the prevalence of the Neuropteridce is to be remarked — as is also the 

 case in the succeeding formations. Next to this family come the 

 Sphenopteridcc. The PecopteridcE appear for the first time in suc- 

 ceeding strata. 



4. The flora of the Posidoiiomya-schist, in respect to genera and 

 species, is not re.illy separable from that of the younger Grauwacke, 

 which I have parelleled with the Millstone-grit of England, — indeed 

 in different districts, as in the Hartz and Silesia, they have several 

 species in common. In this formation (comprising both the above), 

 Fucoids are altogether wanting. Calamites and Ferns, especially the 

 Neuropteridce and SphenopteridcE, predominate. The Pecopteridce, 

 however, are represented by two species only. This formation has 

 only one species {Sagenaria acuminata'^) in common with the more 

 ancient Carboniferous Limestone, whilst there are no less than six 

 common to it and the younger Coal-formation, viz. Calamites can- 

 ncEformis, Sphenopteris obtusiloba, Hymenophyllites dissectusf, Neu- 

 ropteris Loshii, Cyatheites asper, and Sagenaria aculeata. 



5. The total number of species (inclusive of nine distinct forms, 

 too fragmentary, however, to be characterized) as yet found is 121, 

 belonging to the following families : 



Fucoides 24 



Equisetes 14 



Asterophyllites 4 



r Sphenopterides ...... 16 



Filices. < Neuropterides 10 



L Pecopterides 3 



Noeggerathise 5 



Lycopodiacese ...... 36 



Sigillariese 5 



Stigmarise 1 



Coniferse 3 



121 Species. 



* [This species is omitted, perhaps by mistake, from the list of Carboniferous 

 Limestone plants. On the other hand, Calamites transitionis is especially indicated 

 as belonging both to this formation and to the "Younger Grauwacke." There 

 would, therefore, appear to be two species common to the two formations. — 

 Trans L.] 



t [//. Gersdorfii makes a seventh species common to the two formations : see 

 the list. — Transl.] 



