266 



Scientific Intelligence. [no. 2, new series, 



Report on specimens of Bituminous Shale transmitted along with 

 Dr. Walker's Report, by Dr. Falconer, a. m. and m. d., 

 Supt. Hon'ble Co.'s Botanical Gardens, Calcutta. 



I have carefully examined the specimens in question six in num- 

 ber, and although they exhibit abundance of black flakes as com- 

 monly occurs in bituminous shale, which are probably of vegeta- 

 ble origin, I cannnot detect the presence of any determinable im- 

 pressions of vegetable fossils. The black flakes, under a careful 

 examination with the microscope, exhibit no marks of structure 

 and appear to be bituminous. 



- The appearances which seem to have been taken for vegetable 

 fossils and which I presume are those alluded to by Dr. Walker in 

 his Report as " Scales of Lepidodendrous Plants," I have made 

 out to be enamel dersinal plates of an extinct placoid fish co-ordi- 

 nate with Lepidotus and Dapedius. If Dr. Walker forwarded any 

 well marked vegetable fossils they have not been submitted to me^ 

 there are one or two obscure and indistinct impressions probably 

 of organic origin but they are not determinable. 



In the list appended to his Report, Dr. Walker mentions No. 

 VI. specimens of coal with fossil impressions chiefly of Lepido- 

 dendrous plants to show that the measure is a true " coal," I have 

 observed nothing among those sent, to which this description could 

 accurately apply, nor have seen any samples of coal among them. 

 Should there happen to be any, I should be glad to examine it, on 

 the chance, that some portion of it may exhibit determinable struc- 

 ture. In reference to this point I may mention that I have detected 

 structure on the Burdwan coal, sufficient to determine the plans 

 from which the coal was produced, and which go a long way to 

 prove that the Burdwan coal fields belong to an age and series, 

 perfectly distinct from and more modern than the great English 

 coal measures. 



There is no evidence afforded by such of Dr. Walker's specimens 

 as I have seen that the Chennore coal belongs to the same forma- 

 tion, as the English Carboniferous series. 



