FOREST OF WYRE AND TITTERSTONE CLEE HILL COAL FIELDS. 1081 



Remarks. 



One of the most interesting plants met with in this boring is Neuropteris hetero- 

 phylla Brongt., of which two specimens were collected from the Keele Group ; these 

 are the first and, as far as I know, the only two records for the occurrence of this 

 species in the Radstockian Series. I am indebted to Mr Edward Parry for one of 

 these examples, which is shown on PL V, fig. 2. The specimen, which is typical of 

 the species, is preserved in a fine-grained red marl from which the carbonaceous 

 matter of the fossil has entirely disappeared. 



The specimens I name "Neuropteris sp., allied to Neuropteris Blissi Lesqx.," 

 from this boring and from the Westphalian rocks of the Wyre Forest (ante, pp. 1025, 

 1028), usually occur as isolated pinnules whose form is that of Neuropteris Blissi 

 Lesqx.* ; but the lateral veins follow a slightly more arched course in their passage 

 from the midrib to the margin of the pinnule, than in Lesquereux's plant. In such 

 a difficult and critical genus as Neuropteris, until more perfect specimens are secured 

 it is better not to attempt a definite determination. The true Neuropteris Blissi is 

 very rare in Britain.")" 



From somewhere between 2032 feet and 2082 feet the Lanarkian Series appears 

 to come in. My reason for referring this portion of the bore to that series is 

 the entire absence in this part of the measures of a single characteristic West- 

 phalian species. It is true that all the plants met with here are also found in the 

 Westphalian Series, but one of the important points which separate the Lanarkian 

 from the Westphalian Series is the absence of species from the former which are 

 frequent in and characteristic of the latter. The Lanarkian has some species peculiar 

 to itself, and though none of them appear here, the absence of Westphalian species 

 cannot be ignored. Their absence may be due to the accidents of collecting, but 

 the fact remains they have not been here met with ; therefore, if the position of 

 these measures is judged by its available palseontological data, I can only conclude 

 that the rocks under discussion must be referred to the Lanarkian Series. 



Dr Arber, from the examination of the plants from the lower part of this boring, 

 " can find, however, no evidence from these specimens that these beds belong to the 

 Lower Coal Measures." " On the contrary, the flora of the lowest 200 feet of the 

 measures is undoubtedly a Middle Coal Measure flora." \ With this opinion, as far 

 as the character of the flora is concerned, I cannot agree, for such as it is, it is 

 typically Lanarkian. Future collecting in these measures may reveal a West- 

 phalian flora, but up to the present it has failed to do so. 



Purely geological considerations would favour the view that the lowest portion 

 of the bore should also be Westphalian, but, as already stated, the palseontological 

 data are against this. The material from which the fossils were collected was limited, 



* Goal Flora, vol. iii, p. 737, pi. xcv, figs. 1, la, 1884. 



t See Neuropteris Blissi Lesqx., Trans. Roy. Soc. Edin., vol. xxxvii, p. 329, pi. i, figs. 3, 3a, 1893. 



t Arber, I.e., p. 409. 



