FOSSIL FLORA OF THE STAFFORDSHIRE COAL FIELDS. 89 



Through the kindness and assistance of Mr William Hampton, careful collections 

 were made of the shales and underclays exposed at the time of my visit, and of those 

 which proved most rich in organic remains, a second collection was made by Mr Hamp- 

 ton. Three new forms of macrospores have been discovered in this Marl Pit which are 

 described below. Associated with the macrospores, in one case especially, were numerous 

 crustacean remains as well as fragments of carbonised stems and other plant debris. 



As this Marl Pit is interesting, not only on account of the rich gatherings of macro- 

 spores which the shales and underclays have yielded, but also on account of the standing 

 trees which occur on the " 3" coal " on the southern side of the fault, I give a section 

 of the strata, which has kindly been prepared for me by Mr Hampton, and on which has 

 been indicated in letters the position from which the better "gatherings" were collected. 

 The general strike of the strata is nearly east and west. Owing to a fall on the north 

 side of the fault, the strata could not be conveniently measured at the time the section 

 was prepared. 



Above the " 3" coal," and standing on it at right angles to its surface, many stems 

 of trees, as already mentioned, have been met with while working the marls. Mr Ward 

 gives the measurements and descriptions of thirteen specimens found prior to 1880. # It 

 is a curious circumstance that on none of the trees discovered are the roots preserved, the 

 portions of the stems now existing being apparently only a few feet of the lower portion 

 of the trunks ; the roots having apparently decayed before mineralisation took place. 



The following list, which includes those described by Mr Ward (Nos. 1-13), supplied 

 to me by Mr Hampton, contains a complete record, as far as is known, of all the standing 

 trees that have been found in the Eastwood Marl Pit up to the present time. 



Notes on some op the Trees. 



No. 17. The bottom of the stem had the appearance as of thickening out to form the 

 roots. 



No. 19. This is the only specimen that was found lying horizontally. The tree had 

 been taken away with the marl, having undergone little induration during fossilization. 

 The impression left in the marl by which it had been surrounded was very perfect, and 

 pieces of carbon which had evidently been on the outside of the stem were still adhering 

 to. the impression. 



No. 20. The general appearance of the bottom part of the trunk for the height of 

 4 feet from the base was as if it had been subject to great pressure before having been 

 fossilized. It was of very irregular shape, but the upper 4 feet were perfectly round and 

 had been partially pushed off the bottom portion as it was overhanging it at least 

 12 inches. Woodcut, fig. 1. 



* " Notes on some Fossil Trees in a Marl Pit at Joiner's Square, near Hanley," Report North Staffordshire Nat. 

 Field Club for 1880. With a Plate. 



