1858.] DAWSON LOWEK COAL-MEASUEES. 71 



Calamites. — A single ribbed stem from Horton, and another from 

 St. Mary's Eiver, may belong to this genus ; but neither were well- 

 characterized specimens. 



The above slender list includes all the plants that I have hitherto 

 obtained from the Lower Coal-formation. Multitudes of fragments, 

 destitute of distinct character, are, however, found in these beds ; 

 and further observation wiU no doubt increase the number of species. 



III. Fauna of the Lower Coal-measures. 



The animal remains found in these rocks correspond in general 

 aspect with j:hose of the middle coal-measures, though I have no 

 doubt that the species are in most cases distinct. They include 

 Reptilia, Pisces, Entomostraca, Annelida, and a few Mollusca, and 

 are, as far as I am aware, altogether distinct from the fossils of the 

 properly marine members of the system. 



Rejptilia. — Foot-prints of a small quadruped were found at Horton 

 Bluff by Sir W. E. Logan in 1841. Some years later, Dr. Harding, 

 of Windsor, obtained a few series of foot-prints from beds of cor- 

 responding age at Parrsboro'. /The foot-prints found by Sir W. E. 

 Logan were the first traces of reptilian animals observed in America; 

 but, being imperfect, they did not attract attention until the subse- 

 quent discoveries of Dr. King in Pennsylvania, and of Sir C. Lyell 

 and the author in Nova Scotia, had proved the certainty of the 

 indications which these earlier traces afforded. The slab from 

 Horton is now in the Museum of the Canadian Geological Survey. 

 On comparing the impressions with the specimens found by Dr. 

 Harding and myself, I have no doubt that they are Batrachian foot- 

 prints. They appear to have been made, however, by an animal 

 moving under water, and partially supported by the fluid ; so that 

 only the points of its toes reached the bottom, except in one place, 

 where an unusual pressure was exerted, perhaps with the view of 

 turning or of stopping suddenly. The creature must have had strong 

 and broadly-pointed claws, by which it urged itself forward. One 

 pair of feet (the hind pair, I presume) had five claws, three of them 

 larger than the others ; the other pair of feet may have had only 

 three or perhaps four claws. These appearances would indicate a 

 creature of the type of Menopoma or Menobranchus, and thus corre- 

 spond with the inferences deduced by Professors Wyman and Owen 

 from the bones of the Dendrer]peton Acadianum of the middle coal- 

 measures. The trail of the tail, seen in the other foot-print referred 

 to, does not appear in the Horton specimen ; but this may be due 

 to the support afforded by the water ; the others have been probably 

 subaerial. 



At Windsor Brook and Parrsboro' I have observed impressions 

 similar to those above referred to, though less distinct and of in- 

 terest merely as indicating that small Batrachians may have been by 

 no means rare. It is to be hoped that the rich fish-beds of Horton 

 may yet afford some of their osseous remains. 



