172 
NORTH GALLERY. 
[UPPER 
ROOM I. 
Fossil Plants. — Divisions A. & B. of Case I contain Vegetable 
impressions called Alga, from their resemblance to Sea-weeds. They 
are found in rocks of all ages, and are almost the only Fossils met 
with in the very oldest strata. Division C. of the same case contains 
the Fossil Ferns, of the genus Sphenopteris , obtained from the Shale 
beds overlaying the coals. 
Case 2. Divisions A. to F. contain Ferns of the Coal-measures be- 
longing to the genera Neuropteris, Cyclopteris, Pecopteris, and Aletho- 
pteris ; together with certain species which are peculiar to the Coal- 
shales of India and Australia (Glossopteris). 
In Case 3, are the Ferns peculiar to the Permian, Trias, and Lias 
formations, — these are in division A. ; where will also be found sections 
of silicified stems of Tree-ferns from Bohemia. In divisions B. and 
C. are arranged the Ferns of the Oolitic Shales of Scarborough, in 
Yorkshire ; and, in division D.are those of the Green-sand and Weal- 
den formations. Divisions E. and F. contain the Coal-plants called 
Catamites: they have jointed stems, and leaves in whorls, resembling 
those of the recent " Mare's-tail " (Equisetum). The Asterophyllites 
are also placed here, being now regarded as the fruit and foliage of 
the Calamites. 
Case 4 contains the stems of Coal-plants, called Lepidodendron, from 
their scaly bark, allied to the recent Club-mosses (Lycopodiacece) ; 
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 (5, A. B.). 
Case 5. In this case are arranged portions of the trunks of Fossil - 
trees, with regular furrows and impressions, called Sigillarice, also be- 
longing to the LycopodiacecB. They are found in great numbers in most 
coal-fields, frequently retaining the erect position in which they grew. 
The Fossils named Stigmaria, in this Case, and on the top of Case 
4, are the roots of the Sigillaria. They occur in the fire-clay, beneath 
seams of coal. The example over the Gallery door originally mea- 
sured 26 feet in length. An entire but flattened stem of Sigillaria, 
measuring 9 feet in length, is placed at the end of this case, on the 
left of the doorway leading into Room II. 
Over Case 5 are placed examples of the opalized trunks of a species 
of Banksia from Tasmania. 
Case 6 contains, 1. Fossil Plants of the Kentish-Rag and Wealden 
strata, including a plant related to the Dragon-tree of Teneriffe, 
Dracana Benstedi, from the Iguanodon Quarry at Maidstone. 2. Sili- 
cified stems of Palms from the West Indies. 3. Palm-leaves and palm- 
like Fruits {Nipadites), from Sheppey, the wood of which was bored by 
a species of ship-worm (Teredina) now extinct. 4. Leaves of Cycadean 
plants from Scarborough, &c. 5. Fossil Fir-cones and Pine-wood, the 
former from the cliffs on the coast of Norfolk, belonging to the Spruce 
Fir, a species which had become extinct in Britain, and has been rein- 
troduced in modern times. 
