5 1 4 PALMS IN SECONDARY AND TRANSITION SERIES. 
England, whilst they are comparatively rare in 
strata of the Secondary and Transition series, 
a few species of Coniferse. 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 Japonieuni.) 
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 w'ell 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. p^' 
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 GEningen. 
No remains of any Rosaceae have yet been discovered at this 
place.” Letter from Prof. Braun to Dr. Buckland,'!:iov.‘25, 1835- 
In addition to these fossil Plants, the strata at Qilningeu con- 
tain many species of freshwater Shells, and a remarkable collec- 
tion of fossil Fishes, which we have before mentioned, P. 285. I’’ 
the family of Reptiles they present a very curious Tortoise, ano 
a gigantic aquatic Salamander, more than three feet long, th® 
Homo Diluvii testis of Scheuchzer. A Lagomys and foss' 
Fox have also been found here. (See Geol. Trans. Lond. N- 
vol. iii. p. 287. 
In Oct. 1835, I saw in the Museum at Leyden, a living Sal®' 
mander three feet long, the first ever brought alive to Europ®’ 
of a species nearly allied to the fossil Salamander of CEning®|’’ 
This animal was brought by Dr. Siebold from a lake withi® 
the crater of an extinct volcano, on a high mountain in Japa®' 
It fed greedily on small fishes, and frequently cast its epiderm*® 
