﻿OP 
  THE 
  FIFESHIRE 
  COAL-MEASURES. 
  251 
  

  

  taming 
  them 
  are 
  all 
  exposed 
  between 
  tide-marks, 
  in 
  the 
  space 
  in- 
  

   cluded 
  from 
  a 
  little 
  west 
  of 
  Methil 
  Harbour 
  to 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  Muir- 
  

   edge 
  Den. 
  

  

  We 
  are 
  much 
  indebted 
  to 
  the 
  assistance 
  of 
  Dr. 
  H. 
  Woodward, 
  

   Mr. 
  E. 
  Howse, 
  and 
  Dr. 
  Traquair, 
  in 
  determining 
  the 
  species. 
  

  

  Note 
  on 
  the 
  Algce 
  or 
  Rootlets 
  occurring 
  in 
  Bed 
  No. 
  28. 
  (PI. 
  VI. 
  ). 
  — 
  

   These 
  Algae, 
  or 
  rootlets, 
  are 
  only 
  found 
  in 
  about 
  an 
  inch 
  or 
  less 
  of 
  

   the 
  shale 
  overlying 
  the 
  upper 
  thin 
  coal, 
  and 
  some 
  three 
  inches 
  or 
  so 
  

   above 
  it. 
  They 
  are 
  not 
  seen 
  where 
  the 
  other 
  vegetable 
  fossils 
  are 
  

   most 
  numerous, 
  which, 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  stated, 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  

   shale 
  immediately 
  over 
  the 
  coal. 
  They 
  are 
  very 
  delicate 
  and 
  mem- 
  

   branous, 
  showing 
  no 
  structure 
  or 
  surface 
  -marking, 
  except 
  in 
  the 
  

   larger 
  specimens, 
  where 
  is 
  seen 
  the 
  remains 
  of 
  an 
  internal 
  filament 
  

   or 
  cord 
  (figs. 
  1, 
  2, 
  & 
  4), 
  apparently 
  indicating 
  what 
  was 
  once 
  the 
  

   centre 
  of 
  a 
  very 
  succulent 
  plant. 
  The 
  subrectangular 
  mode 
  of 
  

   branching 
  of 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  specimens 
  is 
  very 
  peculiar, 
  as 
  is 
  also 
  the 
  

   symmetry, 
  often 
  to 
  be 
  observed, 
  of 
  the 
  branching 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  a 
  

   stem 
  or 
  main 
  branch 
  (figs. 
  8, 
  9, 
  & 
  10). 
  We 
  have 
  noticed 
  nothing 
  

   like 
  fructification 
  on 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  specimens 
  : 
  nor 
  are 
  we 
  at 
  all 
  

   certain 
  that 
  any 
  of 
  our 
  examples 
  show 
  the 
  natural 
  ending 
  of 
  

   the 
  smaller 
  branches. 
  And 
  we 
  have 
  certainly 
  not 
  seen 
  what 
  the 
  

   main 
  stems 
  spring 
  from. 
  

  

  These 
  singular 
  fossils, 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  rarely 
  met 
  with 
  in 
  Car- 
  

   boniferous 
  strata, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  our 
  knowledge 
  extends, 
  might 
  be 
  taken 
  

   for 
  the 
  remains 
  of 
  marine 
  Algse 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  Chondrus, 
  from 
  their 
  

   appearance 
  ; 
  but 
  as 
  they 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  proved 
  to 
  be 
  such 
  by 
  their 
  

   organs 
  of 
  reproduction, 
  and 
  none 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  have 
  been 
  met 
  with, 
  

   we 
  can 
  only 
  adduce 
  their 
  external 
  characters 
  in 
  favour 
  of 
  this 
  view. 
  

   From 
  this 
  evidence 
  alone, 
  however, 
  M. 
  Adolphe 
  Brongniart 
  * 
  de- 
  

   scribed 
  and 
  figured 
  Fucoicles 
  strictus 
  and 
  F. 
  multifidus, 
  and 
  Professor 
  

   Schimper, 
  Goppert, 
  and 
  Count 
  De 
  Saporta 
  Chondrus 
  fruticulosus 
  f 
  . 
  

   M. 
  Lesquereux 
  has 
  found 
  Fucoicles 
  cauda-gcdli 
  J 
  in 
  ordinary 
  Coal- 
  

   measures 
  (as 
  we 
  should 
  expect 
  from 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  salt 
  water 
  in 
  

   many 
  of 
  our 
  deep 
  mines 
  where 
  surface-water 
  has 
  been 
  prevented 
  

   from 
  getting 
  down 
  into 
  the 
  workings) 
  ; 
  so 
  there 
  is 
  really 
  no 
  great 
  

   improbability 
  of 
  Fucoids 
  being 
  met 
  with 
  in 
  such 
  strata, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  well 
  

   known 
  that 
  the 
  fauna 
  there 
  found 
  has 
  more 
  of 
  a 
  marine 
  than 
  a 
  

   freshwater 
  fades. 
  The 
  analysis 
  of 
  the 
  limestone 
  previously 
  given, 
  

   showing 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  salts 
  of 
  lime 
  and 
  magnesia 
  in 
  the 
  waters 
  from 
  

   which 
  it 
  was 
  deposited, 
  also 
  points 
  to 
  any 
  thing 
  but 
  a 
  freshwater 
  

   origin. 
  

  

  The 
  only 
  fossils 
  that 
  we 
  have 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  find 
  at 
  all 
  resembling 
  

   our 
  specimens 
  are 
  some 
  described 
  and 
  figured 
  by 
  M. 
  Heer 
  § 
  in 
  his 
  

   description 
  of 
  the 
  plant-remains 
  brought 
  by 
  Professor 
  Nordenskjold 
  

   from 
  Bear 
  Island, 
  in 
  the 
  Arctic 
  Ocean, 
  which 
  that 
  author 
  takes 
  to 
  

   be 
  the 
  roots 
  of 
  Lepidodendron. 
  Certainly 
  the 
  larger 
  Methil 
  fossils 
  

  

  * 
  Histoire 
  des 
  Veg6taux 
  fosailes, 
  plate 
  ii. 
  fig. 
  4 
  ; 
  plate 
  v. 
  figs. 
  9 
  and 
  10. 
  

   f 
  Traite 
  de 
  Paleontologie 
  Vegetale, 
  plate 
  ii. 
  fig. 
  5. 
  

  

  | 
  " 
  On. 
  Fucoides 
  in 
  the 
  Coal-formations," 
  Trans. 
  Amer. 
  Phil. 
  Soc. 
  Philad. 
  

   vol, 
  xiii. 
  p. 
  313. 
  

  

  § 
  Fossile 
  Flora 
  der 
  Baren-Ineel 
  (Stockholm, 
  1871), 
  taf. 
  xiii. 
  figs. 
  1 
  and 
  2. 
  

  

  