KILMARNOCK, GALSTON, AND KILWINNING COAL FIELDS, AYRSHIRE. 353 



narrow lanceolate with blunt apices, which usually become slit into ribbon-like thongs, 

 basal portion of leaf gradually narrowing, but immediately at its point of attachment to 

 the stem it slightly expands. Nervation strong, parallel, and between each vein are a 

 few fine parallel strias. Leaves attached to slightly-elevated cushions, which slope gently 

 downwards till they merge with the bark ; leaf-scar transversely elongated and situated 

 at apex of cushion. Outer surface of stem and leaf-cushions strongly striated longi- 

 tudinally. Pith chambered with very close septse. Wood similar in structure to that of 

 Dadoxylen. 



Remarks. — It is very seldom that perfect leaves of Cordaites are met with. At 

 Plate II. fig. 8 a specimen showing the upper part of the leaf is figured ; in this example 

 the apex is cleft in two, but generally the apex of the leaf is split into several thong-like 

 segments when its true form cannot be distinguished. The base of a leaf is shown on 

 Plate IV. fig. 16. The slight expansion, immediately above the basal extremity of the 

 leaf, is well seen here, as well as the part by which it was attached to the leaf-cushion. 

 At the point marked a in this figure is a transverse band of small cicatricules, which are 

 the cicatricules of the parallel vascular bundles of the leaf. It appears to be most 

 probable that the fine strise between the strong veins are only formed 

 by rows of cells, and not finer veins lying between the coarser ones.* 

 Portion of a branch is shown on Plate IV. fig. 17. One specimen, from 

 Yorkshire, not illustrated, and though not so well preserved as the 

 others, is interesting as showing the bases of the leaves still attached 

 to the stem, from which I was enabled to determine with certainty 

 that the stems I had long suspected to belong to Cordaites principalis 

 were in reality the branches of that plant. The leaves are very closely 

 placed together in this example. Fig. 17, which shows the outer 

 surface, illustrates well the upward springing of the cushion and the 

 cicatrice left by the fallen leaf. A little furrow extends downwards 

 from the leaf cicatrice, and limits laterally its elevation. The whole 

 surface of the stem is strongly striated longitudinally. I have seen 

 fragments of stems much larger than that figured, and the leaf scars 

 vary considerably in their distance apart from each other — a character 

 depending greatly on the age of the specimen. 



The Knorria taxina, L. and H., is founded on a similar fossil to 

 my fig. 17. Their figure is not a very accurate representation of the 

 type, which is preserved in the Natural History Museum, Newcastle-on- 

 Tyne. In the same collection are other specimens, some of which are 

 parts of what must have been very large stems. 



The only specimen of a stem showing branching, which I have seen, is one that I 

 received from Mr C. Beale, from shale over the " Thick Coal," Coseley, near Dudley. 

 This is shown in the woodcut annexed. It is in impression in an ironstone nodule 



* See Geinitz, loc. cit., pi. xxi. fig. 26. 



Stem of Cordaites prin- 

 cipalis, Germ., sp., 

 showing branching. 

 From Coseley, Dud- 

 ley. Hor. — Nodule in 

 shale over the "Thick 

 Coal"— Middle Coal 

 Measures. 



