582 J. W. KIEKBY ON MAEINE FOSSILS IN THE 



vegetation in and about the Fifeshire area during this early Car- 

 boniferous period, and of both the vegetation and the geographical 

 conditions being such as were suitable for the production of coal- 

 growths, though, for some reason, not for their development into 

 thick workable seams. 



Though Stigmaria is so common in these Lower Carboniferous 

 rocks, I have not observed any remains of the evenly ribbed and 

 scarred stems of the more typical forms of Sigillaria. The short, 

 upright stems, and prostrate, flattened trunks of trees that occur , 

 above the coals, or in some of the sandstones and shales, are for the 

 most part coarsely and irregularly ridged and furrowed. Yery 

 rarely they show the lozenge-shaped scars of Lepidodendron. But 

 possibly the others are only another form, or state of preservation, of 

 the same tree ; for the numerous remains of branches, small twigs, 

 and leaves of Lepidodendron found in these rocks indicate that the pre- 

 vailing tree or trees of the period must have belonged to that family. 



Stigmarian roots or rootlets are repeatedly found in strata con- 

 taining marine fossils, or with groups of species such as the 

 remains of Ganoid fishes, Entomostraca, Spirorhis, and other organic 

 remains which could not have had terrestrial habits*. In such 

 cases the Stigmarioe give the impression of being contemporaneous 

 with the other fossils, and thus to have existed beneath the surface 

 of water, though in some cases they may have passed down, by 

 process of growth, from a stratum or land surface above, after the 

 deposition of the bed in which they are found. The following are 

 some of the instances of this which I have observed : — 



At Eanderstone, in Limestone Wo. 9, it occurs abundantly with 

 the scales of small Ganoids, Leperditia OJceni, var. extuherata, and 

 Spirorhis sp. 



At Fife ISTess it occurs in shale (as rootlets), with the scales of 

 small Ganoids, coprolites, Myalina ? sp., Leperditia OJceni, var., 

 Spirorhis sp., and Sphenopteris cvffinis. 



West of Pitmilly Burn it occurs in limestone, with the scales of 

 Megalichihys ? and other Ganoids, Littorina scotohurdigalensis, 

 Myalina modioUformis, Leperditia Oheni, var., Beyrichia suharcuata, 

 and LeindopTiyllum. 



Worth of Kingsbarns Harbour it occurs in limestone, with 

 Macrocheilus striatulus, Littorina scotohurdigalensis, Murchisonia qua- 

 dricarinata, Myalina modioliformis, Bairdia siliquoides, B. prcecisa, 

 KirJcbya spiralis, and Leperditia OJceni ; and it has already been 

 noticed as occurring in the lower part of the limestone east of Eander- 

 stone Castle, associated with Orthoceras and other marine fossils. 



I may here mention another and kindred set of facts to be ob- 

 served in these rocks. In several cases the marine beds immediately 

 follow a seam of coal with fireclay full of Stigmaria beneath ; or if 



* Stigmaria occurs in much the same way in some of the parrot-coals of the 

 Coal-measures. In a coal of this sort at Pirnie Colliery, Fifeshire, its roots and 

 rootlets are found with the remains of Megalichihys Hibberti, 8trcpi^.odus 

 scatroules, Ctenacanthus sp., and other large fishes, and species of Aoithracomya, 

 S])irorhis, and Carhonia. 



