﻿318 ME. 11. KIDSTON ON THE DIVISIONS OF THE [May 1905, 



A. Grandini (Brongn.), A. Serli (Brongn.), Odontopteris Lindleyana, 

 Sternb., Neurojpterisjleamosa, Sternb., N. ovata, Hoffm., N.Scheuchzeri, 

 Hoffm., Annularia sphenophylloides (Zenker), A. stellata (Schl.), 

 Sphenophyllum emarginatum, Brongn., Cordaites angidosostriatus, 

 Grand'Eury, and Walchia imbricata, Schimper ; and, although some 

 of these occur in lower horizons, still the Upper Coal-Measure 

 horizon is where all of them attain their maximum development, 

 and it is the horizon of which they are typical species. There can, 

 therefore, be no doubt that the Keele Group must be classed as 

 Upper Coal-Measures. 



Passing to the plants recorded from the Newcastle -under- 

 Lyme Group, we note that, of the 22 species observed, Pecopteris 

 arborescens (Schl.), P. cyathea (Sohl.), Neiiropteris flexuosa, Sternb., 

 and N. ovata, Hoffm., are typical Upper Coal-Measure species ; but 

 they are here associated with other species which are characteristic 

 of the Middle and Lower Coal-Measures, such as Pecopteris Miltoni 

 (Artis), which also is plentiful in the Upper Coal-Measures and 

 frequent in the Middle Coal-Measures, Neiiropteris gigantea, Sternb., 

 Lepidodendron lycopodioides, Sternb. (Zeiller), L. ophiurus, Brongn., 

 Sigillaria Brardi, Brongn., and Cordaites principalis (Germar). 

 So there is clearly here a mixing of species, some of which 

 are characteristic of the Upper, and others of the Middle, Coal- 

 Measures. 



From the Etruria-Marl Group only a single species, 

 Neiiropteris Scheuclizeri, Hoffm., has been collected. This is a very 

 common Upper Coal-Measure plant ; it is met with, however, 

 though rarely, in the Middle Coal-Measures. The absence of 

 plant-remains in this group is, nevertheless, not of so much im- 

 portance, as a fair list has been obtained from the overlying 

 Newcastle -under -Lyme Group and the underlying Blackband 

 Group. 



The Blackband Group has yielded 24 species. It contains 

 a few which occur in the Upper Coal-Measures ; these are Peco- 

 pteris Miltoni (Artis), which, as already mentioned, is also not 

 uncommon in the Middle Coal-Measures, Macrostachya infundibu- 

 liformis (Brongn.), An nularia sphenophylloides (Zenker), also known 

 from the Middle Coal-Measures, where it is, however, very rare, 

 and Sphenophyllum emarginatum, Brongn., which is a very common 

 Upper Coal-Measure plant ; but the great majority of the species 

 from the Blackband Group are Middle and Lower Coal-Measure 

 forms. Of the characteristic Middle Coal-Measure plants, Aletho- 

 pteris valida, Boulay, Linopteris obliqua (Bunbury), and Sigillaria. 

 ovata, Sauveur, may be mentioned. In this group, the Middle 

 Coal-Measure plants become more strongly represented, and the 

 Upper Coal-Measure plants are clearly reduced in number. In 

 fact, from the Newcastle-under-Ly me Group to the 

 base of the Blackband Group, a gradual change in the 

 flora is taking place from below upwards. Upper Coal- 



