CARBONIFEROUS AGE. 351 



(c. ) Spiders. — (1.) Scorpions: Fig. 684, Cyclophthalmus senior Corda, a Scorpion from 

 Chomle, Bohemia. (2.) Pseudo-scorpions: Microlabis Sternberyi Corda, from Bohemia. 

 Eophrymus Prestwitchii "Woodw., from Dudley; Architarbus subovalls Wood w., Lanca- 

 shire, very near the Illinois species (p. 342). (3.) True Spiders: Protolycosa anthra- 

 xophila R., from Silesia; an Aranea, from Bohemia. 



(d.) Insects. — Remains of Insects have been found at several localities, and especially 

 :at Saarbriick and Wettin. (1.) Neuropters: Dictyoneura anthracopihila Goldb., Saar- 

 hriick; D. Humboldtiana Goldb., ib. ; D. lihelluloid.es Goldb., ib. ; Corydalis Brongniarti 

 Mant., Coalbrook Dale. (2.) Orthopters: Fig. 686, Blattina primmva Goldb., Saarbriick, 

 "besides two other Blattince from Saarbriick, and several from Westphalia; Gryllacris 

 lithanthraca Goldb. (Locust), from Saarbriick; Termes Heeri Goldb., and other species, 

 -from Saarbriick. (3.) Coleopters: Troxites German Goldb., Saarbriick; Curculioides 

 -Ansticii Buckl., Coalbrook Dale. 



(e.) Fishes. — The Fishes of the Carboniferous age are found most abundantly in the 

 "Subcarboniferous limestones, as these were wholly of marine origin ; still, a consider- 

 able number of species occur in the Coal-measures. The Selachians are of the genera 

 Ctenodus, Ctenoptychius, Gyracanthus, etc., and also Helodus, Cladodns, Orodus, Ctena- 

 ■canthns, etc., which are mostly Subcarboniferous. The most common Coal-measure 

 genera of Ganoids are Palceoniscus, Amblypterus, and Holoptychius. 



(/.) Reptiles. — A few Reptilian remains have been observed in Europe and Britain, 

 -similar in general character to those of America, and indicating the existence of Laby- 

 rinthodonts. Loxomma Allmanni Hux., Edinburgh, the skull ten inches wide and four- 

 teen long; Anthracosaurus Russelli Hux., Lanarkshire; Parabatrachus Colei Owen, 

 British Coal-measures; Anthracerpeton crassosteum Owen, Glamorganshire; Archego- 

 saurus Decheni Goldfuss, Saarbriick, three and one-half feet long; A. minor Meyer, 

 Saarbriick ; Apateon pedestris H. v. Meyer, from near Miinsterappel, on the Bavarian 

 Rhine; Urocordylus Wandesfordii Hux., Kilkenny, the tail very long, having seventy- 

 five vertebra?; Ophiderpeton Brownriggii Hux., Kilkenny, snake-like, three feet long; 

 Septerpeton Dobbsii Hux., Kilkenny. 



3. General Observations. 



1. Source of CoaL — (1.) Coal derived from Vegetation. — As the 

 coal-beds and accompanying strata abound in the impressions of leaves 

 and stems, and the coal also consists largely of vegetable fibre (p. 318), 

 the vegetable origin of coal is beyond all reasonable doubt. 



(2.) Plants of the Coal. — The plants that have contributed most to 

 the formation of the great beds of vegetable debris, which were after- 

 ward converted into coal, are the Sigillarids, Calamites, Ferns, and 

 Cordaites, with the Lepidodendrids for the beds of the Lower Coal- 

 measures. 



The Sigillarids and Calamites were probably for the most part con- 

 fined to the wet grounds or marshes, and the islands of floating plants ; 

 while the Lepidodendrids and Tree-ferns, judging from recent Lyco- 

 pods and Ferns, were plants both of the wet plains and of the dry hills. 

 Conifers must have been associated with these last in the drier forests 

 of the continent ; but, if the Cordaites are the leaves of any of the 

 species, they also spread over the wet regions, and took part in the 

 construction of the floating islands. The nature of the plants found 

 in the coal-beds, and of the associated animal life, is proof that the 

 coal is not made even partly of marine species. 



