ESTHERIA TENELLA. 35 



A similar fossil lias been obtained at Gare, by Dr. Rankine, at 239 fathoms ; and Dr. 

 Rankine has also sent me specimens of a bed of Cytheropsis Scotoburdigalensis, associated 

 with ironstone, from 356 fathoms below the Ell-coal. 



6. Barely, if at all, distinguishable from the Esther ia communicated by Mr. Grossart, is 

 an Estheria occurring in great numbers in the Brandschiefer of Oschatz, Saxony, referred to 

 the Permian Formation by Naumann and Geinitz, to whom I am indebted for specimens, 

 one of which is figured PI. I, figs. 26, 27. 



Under the same name, therefore, I propose to describe the specimens of Estheria 

 communicated to me by my friend, Dr. Geinitz, of Dresden, Avhich he refers to the species 

 described by Bronn as Posidonoinya tenella of Jordan. Dr. Geinitz's species came* 

 from the Brandschiefer (bituminous shale) of Salhausen ; Jordan's P. tenella occurs in black 

 shales in the Murgthal, near Sulzbach (see page 31) and also, it is said, in the bituminous 

 shales of Autun, in France. I have not seen specimens from the locality last named. 



The Saxon specimens are numerous, but delicate and obscure ; and I owe to Mi'. 

 George West's patient and accurate labour with the microscope, the distinct and charac- 

 teristic delineations of this species (figs. 26 and 27), as well as of others nearly as obscure, 

 and of the many other better preserved Estheria described in this monograph. The 

 specimens were supplied by Prof. Naumann, and transmitted to me by Prof. H. B. Geinitz, 

 in July, 1859, in most ready and obliging accordance with a request from me to be made 

 acquainted with the Permian Entomostraca mentioned in the ' Steinkohlenformation in 

 Sachsen,' p. 4. 



These Estherice lie massed together in large numbers on the planes of bedding in a 

 dark-coloured combustible shale, belonging to the Lower Permian formation of Saxony. 

 The shale belongs to the coal-deposit known as the " Brandschiefer " of the Rothliegendes, 

 at Salhausen, near Oschatz, Saxony ; and, besides the Estheria, it contains remains of 

 Acanlhodes gracilis, Beyrich, Xenacanthus Decheni, Beyrich, Walchiapiniformis, Schlotheim, 

 Odontopteris Naumanni, Gutbier, &C. 1 



The following is a more detailed account of this interesting deposit of fossil fuel, — 

 from Geinitz's ' Steinkohlenformation in Sachsen,' 2 1856, p. 4. 



" In the lower division of the Rothliegendes, a formation altogether distinct from the Coal-measures, 

 and comprised with the Zechstein-group, in Murchison's Permian Formation, there is found at some 

 places in Saxony a stratum which is sometimes a pure ' Brandschiefer,' sometimes an impure black 

 coal, and which is much used for fuel. Von Gutbier, in his ' Versteinerungen des Rothliegenden in 

 Sachsen,' 1849, pointed out that the Plant-remains found in this bed are specifically different from those 

 of the Coal-measures. 



" The Brandschiefer appears most developed near Salhausen, between Oschatz and Mugeln, where, 



1 Professor H. B. Geinitz has obliged me with this information, in a letter dated January 22, 1861. 



2 An abstract of the chief points of this valuable work are given in General Portlock's 'Anniversary 

 Address to the Geological Society of London,' 1857 ; and Dr. Geinitz's previous work on the Coal-beds of 

 Hainich, Ebersdorf, and Floha, is noticed in Mr. Hamilton's address, 1855. 



