254 J. W. Dawson. Erect Trees containing Reptilian |_Jan. 12,. 



January 12, 1882. 



THE PRESIDENT in the Chair. 



The Right Hon. Sir George William Wilshere Bramwell, and the 

 Right Hon. Henry Fawcett, whose certificates had been suspended as- 

 required by the Statutes, were balloted for and elected Fellows of the 

 Society. 



The Presents received were laid on the table, and thanks ordered for 

 them. 



The following Papers were read : — 



I. " On the Results of Recent Explorations of Erect Trees 

 containing Reptilian Remains in the Coal Formation of 

 Nova Scotia." By J. W. Dawson, O.M.G., LL.D., F.R.S., 

 &c. Received October 11, 1881. 



(Abstract.) 



The explorations referred to were carried on chiefly in the beds at 

 Coal Mine Point, South Joggins, Nova Scotia ; and their object was to 

 make an exhaustive examination of the contents of erect trees found 

 at that place and containing remains of Batrachians and other land 

 animals. 



A detailed section is given of the beds containing the erect trees in 

 question, with lists of their fossil remains. The most important part 

 of the section is the following : — 



Sandstone with erect Calamite and Stigmaria 



roots 6 ft. 6 in. 



Argillaceous sandstone, Catamites, Stigmaria, and 



Aletliopteris Cuchitica 1 ,, 6 ,, 



Gray shale, with numerous fossil plants, and also 



Naiadites, Carbonia, and fish scales 2 ,, 4 ,, 



Black coaly shale, with similar fossils 1 ,, 1 



Coal, with impressions of Sigillaria bark ,, 6 ,, 



On the surface of the coal stand many erect Sigillarim, penetrating 

 the beds above, and some of them nearly three feet in diameter at the 

 base and nine feet in height. In the lower part of many of these erect 

 trees there is a deposit of earthy matter, blackened with carbon and 

 vegetable remains, and richly stored with bones of small reptiles, land 

 snails, and millipedes. Detailed descriptions of the contents of these 



