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EDITOR'S PREFACE. 



The Sixty -four Plates now published by the North of 

 England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers, 

 are a selection from a much larger number, which were 

 prepared under the direction of Dr. Lindley and Mr. 

 Hutton, at a time when they still had the intention of 

 continuing the publication of their u Fossil Flora." In 

 the task of selection, the Editor has received much kindly 

 help from Professor W. C. Williamson, F.R.S., who was 

 himself one of the chief contributors to the " Fossil Flora." 

 Those Plates have been chosen which represent apparently 

 undescribed, rare, beautiful, or problematical specimens — 

 such specimens, in fact, as would, if brought together, form 

 the chief attractions of a collection. In the brief remarks 

 which accompany the Plates, the Editor has made as much 

 use as he could of the notes referring to them left by the 

 authors of the " Fossil Flora " or their correspondents. 

 He has followed, as far as he could, from indications of 

 date, etc., the order in which Hutton evidently intended 

 to publish the Plates, and hence their present somewhat 

 unsystematic arrangement. The manuscripts left by 

 Hutton comprise not only notes by himself and Lindley, 

 but interesting letters from Professors Phillips and W. C. 

 Williamson, Sir Roderick I. Murchison, and Messrs. Bean, 

 Witham, Conway, Murray, etc., of which a small selection 



