ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT. xlvit 
Mr. C. Bunbury observes, that the geological evidence afforded by 
the fossil plants found in this accumulation is, to a certain extent, 
ambiguous; that the most characteristic species appear to be the 
Equisetum columnare, the Calamites, the Teniopteris magnifolia, and 
the Zamites ; that the first is a well-known plant of the lower oolite 
of Europe, while the Calamites arenaceus is discovered in the Keu- 
per on this side of the Atlantic, and that the great abundance of 
these conspicuous Calamites strikingly distinguishes the flora of the 
Richmond coal-field from that of the Yorkshire series, of which it 
otherwise reminds us by many of its forms. He at the same time 
remarks on the geological value, in the Virginian coal-fields, of Peco- 
pteris Whitbiensis, one of the most common plants in the coal of the 
Yorkshire oolites. As a whole, Mr. Bunbury considers the evidence 
of the vegetable remains to be in favour of the Richmond coal-field 
belonging to the geological age of either the triassic or jurassic series, 
and with equal plausibility to both ; an opinion in which Mr. Lyell so 
far coincides, as to suppose that the Virginian beds may be equivalent 
either to the inferior oolite or lias, observing that we have not in Europe 
any large development of a fossil flora in these older divisions of the 
oolitic series, and that such might present more of a triassic character 
than in the coal-strata of Yorkshire. Viewed generally, Mr. Lyell 
infers with Prof. W. B. Rogers, who had previously noticed the coal- 
field of Eastern Virginia, that it agrees in age with the lower members 
of the oolitic or jurassic group of Europe, and takes occasion to point 
out, that while we find so much resemblance in the quality of the coal, 
and in the mode of accumulation of the rocks and plants associated 
with it, to the palzeozoic coal deposits, we should be cautious with 
respect to popular generalizations respecting a peculiar state of the 
globe during the more remote of the two periods. 
Though no doubt the views here taken by Mr. Lyell and Mr. C. 
Bunbury respecting the probable age of these coal accumulations 
may be founded on our present knowledge of the association of cer- 
tain organic remains with the mineral accumulations of Western 
Europe, and that we have yet much to learn regarding them, as 
well as how far this knowledge may be applied, without considerable 
modification, to any deposits which may have been effected in the area 
now occupied by North America, nevertheless such views are of great 
value and importance: they enable us to classify the knowledge we 
possess, and thereby to render it available in a manner that it would 
not otherwise be, and the very accumulation of such views may often 
point out their own modification, should that be necessary. The la- 
bours of our colleague, Mr. Lyell, in America have been attended 
with the happiest results for the progress of our science, and b 
making them and his opinions known through this Society, he has 
not a little contributed to the aid which we have been enabled to 
afford to the advance of geology during the past year. We cannot also 
but with great satisfaction see his near connection, Mr. C. Bunbury, 
assisting in giving these labours still further value, by his investiga- 
tions into the fossil flora of the transatlantic lands traversed by Mr. 
