FOSSILS FROM NORTHWESTERN AMERICA. 729 
ForAMINIFERA.—Figures 2 to 4, inclusive, plate 21, represent three species of Fora- 
minifera found rather abundantly, but poorly preserved in the soft argillaceous shale on 
the shores below Astoria. 
Oo. RADIATA, 
GALERITES OREGONENSIS (Dana).—Figures 5, 6, 6 a, represent a species of the 
Echinide, occurring only in broken fragments and scattered spines in the Astoria 
argillaceous shale, associated with minute Foraminifera. Specimens are so imperfect 
that we refer it with hesitation to the genus Galerites. The spines are half an inch long, 
very slender, delicately striate, with the strize punctate or subcrenulate. 
Notrr.—Fig. 7, plate 21, represents what appears to be a fossil, but it shows no 
regular characters beyond what is observed in the figure. The texture is soft, with the 
colour brownish-black, differing decidedly from the rock in which it is imbedded. The 
texture would suggest the idea of the ink-bag of a sepia, but other characters do not seem 
to sustain this view. 
Figure 203 is another doubtful fossil. Jt appears at first sight to be a coral extending 
through the limestone in convoluted or intersecting plates, 13 to 2 lines thick, consisting 
of hexagonal cells. But the cells are very unlike those of any coral within the knowledge 
of the writer. The interstices are extremely thin, and the cells are destitute of rays or 
septa of any kind. Their diameter is nearly 3 a line, and the length 13 to 2 lines; and 
they are transverse in position, being oblong across the plates, like horizontal columns or 
cells of a honeycomb. They differ widely in form and position from the cells of the 
Bryozoa and Hydroidea ; and seem rather to pertain to the spawn of some species of 
mollusc. This is only a suggestion offered with much hesitation. 
6. PLANTS. 
Antes? ropusta (Dana).—Only one species of fossil plant with distinct leaves was 
observed by the writer in the Astoria deposits. This, like most of the specimens, occurs 
in a limestone nodule, It is represented in fig. 9, plate 21. It is one of the Conifere, 
and appears to be a species of Abies. The leaves are attached to a stem, and apparently 
were placed somewhat irregularly around it. They are very stiff and rigid, 4-sided, 
with sharp angles and flat surfaces, the section being rhomboidal; the width is a line, 
and the transverse diameter about one-third the width. e 
Near the mouth of Fraser’s River, a dark blue slate was observed by a party from 
the Vincennes, and specimens obtained, one of which is represented in fig. 10, plate 21. 
It is supposed to pertain to the tertiary formation of the coast, and to be of the same age 
with that of Astoria, ‘The leaves are all beautifully preserved, as shown in the figure. 
No. 1 may be a Lycopodium, or possibly a Juniperus. 
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