grit (and like animal fossils in limj 
and sandy shale) by carbonic erup- 
tions of litoral and marine salses. 
Note. — I am glad to add that Mr. 
Hembel and perhaps many others reject 
the absurd vegetable theory of coal. 
I send you figures and descriptions 
of 7 of our fossil plants for the Geo- 
logical Society. 
1. Rytoma equalis, Raf. disc. 1821 
in Kentucky in the Wasioto hills,- 
and the carbonic region. It is an 
impression on clay-stone, reddish 
brown. It is near to Catamites , but 
flat, not cylindrical, although neither 
distorted nor flattened. Gen . car . 
Straight, flat, long, cutat equal dis- 
tances by transversal furrows, others 
smaller longitudinal approximated, 
separated by flat ribs. Spec. car. Fur- 
rows deep and narrow, the trans- 
versal larger, the ribs larger than the 
longitudinal furrows. (3 inches.) 
2. An unknown Lignite (L. Clif- 
fordi ) from the carbonic regions of 
Kentucky, disc. 1 822. Superincum- 
bent to coal in the grit. Resembling 
the Phytolites dawsoni of Steinhauer. 
Petrified in sandstone grit. Brown 
outside, grey inside, impressions on 
both sides, fibres flat parallel une- 
qual in length, equal in breadth, 
strias between very small, interior 
obliterated, yet a little porose. 
3. Mesiphites clavata, Raf. A sin- 
gular fossil of the diluviu m of Phila- 
delphia in iron clay. Is it a plant 
near tothefistular Fucus, or an ani- 
mal near to Holothuria? Mr. Peter 
A. Browne has figured several of 
these fossils, perhaps different sp.in 
the Journal of Geology. I shall pub- 
lish them again with his figures and 
my names. Are the singular fossils 
lately discovered in the ferruginous 
diluvium of Nova Scotia, similar to 
these? 
4 . Cladocerus alcides , Raf. 1818. 
Fossil resembling the horn of an elk, 
but rather a plant, disc. 1818 in the 
calcareous shale 6f Kentucky. It is 
very near to my N. G. Somarites 
(enum. sp.73) which I placed among 
the Alcyonitesi but which is perhaps 
a plant also (or a porostome) differ- 
67 
ing from, this merely by having no 
outward tegument. Gen. Car. Irreg- 
ular, compressed, palmate, subra- 
nose* twisted ; interior a little fibrose. 
Exterior with a tegument covered by 
flexuose longitudinal furrows, sp.cak 
Difforme, oboval, obliqual, palmate, 
truncate or split, one side angular, 
the other thick, furrows unequal 
curved or flexuose often twisted. 2 
or 3 inches. 
5. Trispinites obliqua , Raf. 1818. 
Very singular fossil, resembling an 
Eschara , but apparently a plant, with- 
out any cell or mouth. From Clifi 
ford’s museum, discovered by him in 
the sandy grit covering the coal on 
New River in West Virginia. Gem 
Car. Surface flat tesselated, each 
square with an oblique heart shaped 
impression, and 3 prominent spines 
behind. Sp. Car. Angular or squar- 
ed, 3 or 4 tesselated squares on one 
inch. Size 4 to 6 inches. 
6. Porimites levigata , Raf. 1818. 
Nearly smooth, pores round. 
7. Porimites sulcata, Raf. Deeply 
sulcated, pores oblong or elliptical. 
These two splendid fossils, were 
discovered by Mr. Clifford in the 
sandy grit of the Cumberland and 
Clinch mountains in Tennessee. 
The fragments were a foot long, and 
6 inches in diameter, cylindrical, 
very hard, . nearly silicified and 
brown. Is it a fossil plant near the 
Cactus or animals near the Mille- 
pdres? Generic Car. Body cylindri- 
cal, solid, no tegument, covered out- 
side with longitudinal wrinkles, and 
regular rows of pores, alternating^ 
each with a mamiilar centre. 
14. Remarks on the Silicious Fos- 
sils of North America . 
[Translated from the French.] 
By C. S. RAFINESQ.UE. 
The Essay of Brongniart on the: 
silicious orbicules has begun to uir 
fold some important geological factfe*. 
As I can add some others to tho^e 
indicated by him, I will venture 
some remarks on the silicious fos~ 
‘sils of the great central basin of N, 
