GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY PENNSYLVANIA. 



known to us, which represents any recognized bed of the 

 secondary carboniferous series. 



The evidence derivable from organic remains is next 

 to be considered. With the exception of one species of 

 calamite, the writer was unfortunately unable, during the 

 examination of the products of fifteen shafts, to discover 

 traces of the usual coal plants ; and he was informed by 

 the intelligent manager of the Maidenhead and Heath's 

 new shafts, that he had not succeeded in discovering any 

 such remains during the progress of those w^orks, with 

 the exception adverted to. From a valuable communi- 

 cation made to the Academy of Natural Sciences by Mr 

 Nuttall, we learn that " in the bituminous slate clay, 

 which as usual accompanies this coal, besides impressions 

 of ferns, and the supposed equiseta, there are vestiges 

 of some enormous flaccid-leaved gramineous plant, leaves 

 of one of the scitaminesi similar to those of ginger, and 

 fine casts of a palm, resembling the pennate fronds of 

 some species of zamia or cycas. The apparent remains 

 of fish, which also occur together in such uncommon 

 abundance, are extremely ambiguous, inasmuch as the 

 supposed fins alone are found.''* 



To the unceasing researches made during the last 

 fifteen years, by many distinguished naturalists in the 

 department of fossil botany, we owe the facilities, here- 

 tofore unknown, of comparing and identifying the ante- 

 diluvian flora of our coal fields; and with the specimens 

 before them, geologists will henceforth cease to employ 

 those vague and unsatisfactory expressions which resulted 

 from the then unsettled state of this interesting branch 

 of natural science. 



In the Chesterfield coal shafts, one of the beds. No. 70 

 of our section, at the depth of 319 feet below the sur- 



* Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Pliiladelpliia, vol. 2, p. 

 36. Also Sternberg, book 3, p. 16. 



J.— -2 M 



