18 



ME. E. A. NEWELL ARBEE ON THE 



[Feb. 1903. 



established by Mr. Kidston x as intermediate between the Upper 

 and Middle Coal-Measures, and of which the best-known examples 

 are the Lower Pennant Hocks in the South Wales Coalfield, and the 

 New Rock and Vobster Series in the Somerset Coalfield. Trasition 

 Coal-Measures occur also in the Potteries Coalfield of North Stafford- 

 shire. 



(2) Lower Division, Sandstone Series. 



The fossil flora of the Lower Division of the Sandstone Series is 

 undoubtedly of Middle Coal -Measure age. This confirms the 

 late Mr. Brockbank's conclusions. 



List of Plant-remains from the Lower Division of the 

 ' Sandstone Series.' 



Calamites (Calamitina) approximatus, 



Brongt. 

 Calamites (Calamitina) varians, 



Sternb. 

 Calamites ( Stylocalamites) Suckowi, 



Brongt. 

 Calamites (Stylocalamites) Cisti, 



Brongt. 

 Calamocladus equiseiiformis (Schl.). 

 Annularia sphenophylloid.es (Zenker). 

 Sphenophylhim cuncifolium (Sternb.). 

 Lcpidodendron aculeatum, Sternb. 



Lcpidophloios (Halonia) sp. 

 Lepidophyllum sp. 

 Sigillaria scutellata, Brongt. 

 Sigillaria ovata, Sauveur. 

 Sigillaria Icevigata, Brongt. 

 Stigmaria ficoides (Sternb.). 

 Sphenopteris ohtusiloba, Brongt. 

 Newopteris tenuifolia (Schl.). 

 Neuroptcris Scheuchzeri, Hoffm. 

 Alethopteris Serli (Brongt.). 

 Cordaites principalis (Germ.). 

 Cordaites sp. 



The aggregate or assemblage of fossil- types, and the abundance 

 of certain groups or genera, as shown here, all point to Middle, and 

 not to Upper Coal-Measures, as the age of these beds. The common 

 occurrence of Calamites and Lepidodendra, in association with 

 Sigillaria and Cordaites, favours this conclusion. 



There is also an entire absence of those types of fern-like plants 

 that are associated essentially with the Upper Coal-Measures. 

 It is true that some of these plants, such as Calamites approxi- 

 matus, Lepidodendron aculeatum, and Sigillaria scutellata, extend 

 to the Transition, or even to the Upper Coal-Measures, but these 

 species are all much more characteristic of the Middle and Lower 

 Coal-Measures than of the Upper Series. 2 Finally, the occurrence 

 of Sigillaria ovata, a plant confined to the Middle Coal-Measures, 

 confirms this conclusion. 



In a paper, which is concerned entirely with palseobotanical 

 evidence, it is not possible, at present, to offer any opinion on the 

 disputed question of the correlation of rocks, of somewhat similar 

 petrological structure, in other districts with the Sandstone Series 

 of Cumberland. Mr. Holmes 3 has repeatedly put forward the view 

 that the Red Rock of Rotherham in Yorkshire is the equivalent of 

 the Whitehaven Sandstone. jSTo plants have been described from 



1 R. Kidston (94) pp. 228-29, and (97) p. 129. Mr. Kidston tells me that 

 he proposes to speak of this horizon in future as the Upper Transition 

 Coal-Meas ures. 



2 R. Kidston (94) pp. 228 & 233. 



3 T. V. Holmes (83) p. 409 & (96) p. 407. 



