406 Capt. Macddkin — Northampton Ironstone Beds. 
Altkougk mauy fish are common to tlie two sides of tbe Urals, 
tkere is a greater difference between those on the east and those ou 
the west tban that which appears to exist between tbe Mammalia. 
Considering tbe difficulties tbat fisb bave in Crossing a barrier of 
land, tbis miglit naturally be expected. As examples we bave 
a species of Carp, Alburnus lucidus, only on tbe west side, and tbe 
Guiniad, Coregonus leucichtys, one of tbe Salmonidoe, only on tbe east. 
Upon tbe eastern side of tbe Urals we bave a singulär example of 
tbe spread of a species in a district it was brougbt to colonize. Tbis 
is tbe Crawfisb. Up to tbe year 1843 or 1844 it only lived on tbe 
western side of tbe mountains, but about tbat time it was carried over, 
and now tbe eastern rivers of tbe Middle Urals are alive witb Crawfisb. 
Düring tbe few weeks’ ramble I bad amongst tbe Urals, tbe season 
was too far advanced for tbe collecting of many plants. However, 
to tbe great surprise of a resident botanist, Mr. Onsiäme Clerc, I 
obtained a few, one or two of wbicb proved to be of rare occurrence. 
Mr. Clerc’s observations tend to sbow tbat tbe plants in tbeir 
geograpbical distribution about tbe Urals exbibit similar peculiarities 
to tbose I bave noticed as occurring amongst tbe animals. Tbus we 
bave plants peculiar to tbe western side of tbese mountains, as 
Asarurn europcmm and Ajuga reptans, and I may also add, I tbink, 
Primula lorella and an Auricula. Tben there are plants wbicb are 
seldom seen upon tbe western side, but are common in Kussia, as 
Veronica officinalis, Bunias orientalis, and Tragopogon orientalis. 
Certain plants, as might naturally be expected, are only to be found 
upon tbe bigh mountains of tbe North Urals; for example, Salix reti- 
culata, S. lierbacea, S.rotundifolia, Dryas octapetala, Saxifraga punctata, 
Pyretlirum bipinnatum, and Asplenium crenatum. Tben, again, tbere 
are plants wbicb bave only been found in tbe Alps and near St. 
Petersburg, in addition to tbe Urals, as, for example, Hieracium 
prenantlioides. Again, certain plants wbicb are found in tbe Urals 
stretcb eastward into Siberia, such as Caltlia natans, Actcea spictata, 
A. oxycarpa, A. leucocarpa, and Aconitum volubile. Otber plants bave 
an excessive ränge in tbis direction ; tbus Bubus hrmilifoliue extends 
to tbe Amoor, as also does Banunculus Purschii. 
Tbus we see tbat tbe Urals, altbougb not forming a formidable 
barrier in tbe pbysical configuration of the globe, still play tbe part 
of one in preventing an unlimited mixture of species, wbicb is alike 
evident botk amongst the animals and vegetables, — a fact wbicb, when 
i egarded geologically, is of considerable significance, rnore especially 
when we reflect upon tbeir great antiquity. 
(To be continued in our next Number). 
III. — The Northampton Ironstone Beds in Lincolnshire. 
By Captain Hacdakin. 
mHE Ironstone Beds of Oolitic age in Lincolnshire bave, during 
i the last four years, yielded not only large quantities of brown 
bamiatite iron-ore, but some very interesting sections and borings, 
comprising thirty-one of tbe latter between four and seven miles 
to tbe soutk of Lincoln, and several extensive openings sbowing 
