514 PALMS IN SECONDARY AND TRANSITION SERIES. 
England, whilst they are comparatively rare in 
strata of the Secondary and Transition series, 
a few species of Coniferoe. One species of Abies is still unde- 
termined ; branches and small cones of another tree of this 
family (Taxodium europeum Ad. Brong.) resemble the Cypress 
of Japan (Taxodium Japonicum.) 
Among the remains of aquatic plants are a narrow-leaved Po- 
tamogeton ; and an Isoetes, similar to the I. lacustris now found 
in small lakes of the Black Forest, but not in the Lake of Con- 
stance. 
The existence of Grasses at the period when this formation was 
deposited, is shewn by a well preserved impression of a leaf, si- 
milar to that of a Triticum, turning to the right, and on which 
the costation is plainly expressed. 
Fragments of fossil Ferns occur here, having a resemblance to 
Pteris aquilina and Aspidium Filix mas. 
The remains of Equisetum indicate a species resembling E. pa- 
lustre. 
Among the few undetermined remains are the five-cleft and 
beautiful veined impressions of the Calyx of a blossom, which are 
by no means rare at CEningen. 
No remains of any Rosacese have yet been discovered at this 
place." Letter from Prof. Brawn to Dr. Buckland, Nov. 25, 1835' 
In addition to these fossil Plants, the strata at Q^ningen con- 
tain many species of freshwater Shells, and a remarkable collec- 
tion of fossil Fishes, which we have before mentioned, P. 285. In 
the family of Reptiles they present a very curious Tortoise, and 
a gigantic aquatic Salamander, more than three feet long, the 
Homo Diluvii testis of Scheuchzer. A Lagomys and fossil 
Fox have also been found here. (See Geol. Trans. Lond. N. S. 
vol. iii. p. 287.) 
In Oct. 1835, I saw in the Museum at Leyden, a living Sala- 
mander three feet long, the first ever brought alive to Europe, 
of a species nearly allied to the fossil Salamander of CEningen. 
This animal was brought by Dr. Siebold from a lake within 
the crater of an extinct volcano, on a high mountain in Japan. 
It fed greedily on small fishes, and frequently cast its epidermis. 
