FLOOK.] 
FOSSILS. 
25 
ROOM I. 
Fossil Plants. — The upper part of Case 1 contains Vegetable im- 
pressions called Fucoids,'' from their resemblance to Sea-weeds 
(Fuci). They are found in rocks of all ages, and are almost the only 
Fossils met with in the very oldest strata. The lower part of the same 
case contains plants with small whirls of leaves (AsterophylUtes), from 
the Coal-shale. 
Case 2. The upper part contains Coal-plants, called Calamites, with 
jointed stems and leaves in w'hirls, resembling the recent " Mare's- 
tail " (Equisetum), in appearance ; the plants called Vertehraria, from 
the Indian Coal-field of Burdwan, and those termed Glossopteris, from 
the Coal-beds of New South Wales. This Case also contains some 
fern-like plants (Sphenopteris), from the English Coal. 
Case 3 contains principally British Coal-plants. Those of the upper 
part, called Liepidodendrons, from their scaly bark, resembling the recent 
Club-mosses [LycopodiacecB] ; but they attained the size of forest-trees. 
Examples of the foliage and fruit of these plants, contained in nodules 
of clay-ironstone, are placed in the next Case. The lower part of 
Case 8 is filled with Fossil Ferns, obtained from the shales overlying 
bods of Coal. 
Case 4. In the upper part are arranged portions of the trunks of 
Fossil-trees, with regular furrows and impressions, called Sigillarim. 
They are found in great numbers in most coal-fields, frequently retain- 
ing the erect position in which they grew. 
The Fossils named Stigmaria, in Case 5, are the roots of the Sigil- 
laria. They occur in the fire-clay, beneath seams of coal. The ex- 
ample over the Gallery Door originally measured 26 feet in length. 
The lower part of Case 4 contains, 1. Fossil Plants of the Kentish- 
Eag and Wealden strata, including a plant related to the Dragon-tree 
of Teneriffe ; Dracama Benstedi, from the Iguanodon Quarry at Maid- 
stone. 2. Silicified stems of Palms from the West Indies. 3. Palm 
leaves and palm-like Fruits {Nipadites), from Brabant, the wood of 
which was bored by a species of ship-worm (Teredina) now extinct. 
Over Case 5 are placed the silicified stems of Mantellia, plants 
related to the recent Cycas, and called " petrified crows' nests " by the 
Portland quarrymen. Leaves of similar plants may be seen in the 
Case below. Some of the Fir-cones in this case are from the cliffs on 
the coast of Norfolk, and belonged to the Spruce Fir, a species which 
had become extinct in Britain, and has been reintroduced in modern 
times. 
The small Table Case under the window contains leaves of Dicotyle 
donous Plants, from the Tertiary Limestone of CEningen. 
The slabs of Sandstone on the North Wall of this Ptoom, with the 
tracks of an unknown animal, called Chirotherium, are, that on the 
left, from the quarries of Hildburghausen, in Saxony; and that in the 
centre, from Stouten Hill quarry, near Liverpool (the latter pre- 
cenled by J. Tomkinson, Esq.). On the right band are placed slabs 
