Shoet Notes and Queries. 



153 



in, otherwise they would have been converted into coal. From the 

 large number of fossil marine shells met with just above this seam 

 it is inferred that the waters which submerged the seam must have 

 ]»een very highly charged with carbonate of linie in solution, and 

 hence the suddenness with which these fossil plants were calcified. 



Some idea of the delicate character of the structure of some parts 

 of these fossil plants may be gathered from the fact that the striated 

 vessels in lepidodendron, and the vessels in the centre of the rootlets 

 of stigmaria are striated with a second stria, which extends between 

 the first striae in a transverse direction, and require very delicate 

 manipulation to see them. In speaking of the wonderfully perfect 

 state in which some of these fossil plants are found, he pointed out 

 that it was far from being the common feature of fossil plants ; the 

 large plants are nearly all decorticated. 



The structure of some plants has often to be made out by cutting 



up several specimens. One specimen may show the pith and woody 



cylinder round it, but be destitute of the bark, while another may 



have no pith, yet a perfect woody cylinder, and just a small bit of 

 bark. 



Mr. Butterworth then proceeded to describe some of the plants 

 found in the neighbourhood, by means of diagrams, some of which 

 had been lent for the occasion by Professor Williamson. The dis- 

 tinctive characters of nearly the whole of the carboniferous fossil flora 

 were clearly pointed out in the diagrams, and microscopic sections of 

 the plants shown to the audience by means of hand microscopes. He 

 pointed out the very close relationship between sigillaria, lepido- 

 dendron, and ulodendro7i, which were nothing more than gigantic 

 club-mosses, while calamites, asteropJiyllites^ zygopteris, and several 

 other undescribed plants were the ancient representatives of the 

 modern horsetails of our ditches. The ancient ferns were unmis- 

 takeably allied to our modern ferns. 



Notes on" Rare Birds, during the Autumn and Winter Months, 

 ABOUT Barnsley. — By T. Lister. 



1875. 



Sept. 14, Querquedula crecca (teal). — Two pairs seen on the Dearne, near 

 Day House, Barnsley. 



