232 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. July 30, 1915. spore coal, after which the spore contents diminish, in some seams very quickly, and others more or less slow, until the upper portion is very often a soft dice-like coal similar to that of the bottoms. If the following figures are examined, they show clearly what is meant— Fig. 27.—Horizontal section of megaspores (Walsall seam). * JzV'V' - A V A ■■ 1 ■ Fig. 29.—Trans section of a small Bothrodendron cone (Walsall seam). exosporium covered with fine forking hair-like spines; it is a species which is not figured by Bennie and Kidston. The chief and dominant megaspore to be found in both seams is a small one about one-third the size of No. 25. The bands and lamina: in which they occur are very Fig. 28.—Horizontal section of megaspores in brown coal (Eugeley seam). . * Fig. 30.—Horizontal section showing megaspores (Walsall seam). the megaspores (A) are lying regular and parallel between the more or less humic matter B and C above and below. The megaspores are exceedingly well pre- served ; the exosporium is covered with exceedingly fine spines ending in very sharp points, these being well shown in fig. 23, which is magnified twice the diameter of figs. 20 and 22. In size they are similar to Bennie and Kidston’s Trilites XIV.—although the spines are shorter and more pointed they may be a variety of Trilites XIV. The above megaspores are to be found in both the seams 8 or 10 inches from the base, increasing in quantity till they form in the Bugeley seam a more or less brown coal 6 or 7 inches in thickness above the main coal 6 ft. from the floor. In the Walsall seam they form bands of spore coal or harden, from 2 to 3 inches thick in three horizons of the seam from 3 to 6 feet from the floor. At the above height the megaspores and microspores increase rapidly in size, and ultimately form the thick bed of spore coal 1 ft. 4 in. thick, which is so conspicuous in both the seams. Fig. 27 is cut fiom the lower portion of the spore coal in the Walsall seam showing the great increase in size of the spores towards those a little lower in the seam; both are of the same magnification. Fig. 28 is from the same horizon in the Rugeley seam. If the four photos, figs. 31 and 33 vertical, 32 and 34 horizontal, are examined, the connection between the brown and spore coal can be plainly seen. Fig. 31 vertical shows the lower portion (A) to be a semi-spore coal, with a gradual increase of spores until at the upper portion (B) it is composed entirely of spores, the megaspores being similar to those shown in figs. 27 and 28. Fig. 32 is a horizontal section cut through the lower portion of fig. 31 showing the megaspores in horizontal section. Figs. 33 and 34 are vertical and horizontal sections cut from the true spore coal 6 ft. 6 in. from the base of the seams. These sections show the megaspores to be of a large size in comparison with those below the Fig. 34.—Horizontal section of spore coal (Walsall seam). Fig. 33.—Vertical section of spore coal or hards (Walsall seam). B .’V *?•’ L - fee- - ■ • &•• '■■■ *'• -A ■ ■ 1 . Ji- 'A- ' 4 • AV vV • . ■ Fig. 31.—Vertical section of brown coal, composed of the smaller megaspores (Walsall seam). Fig. 32.—Horizontal section of sample shown in Fig. 31 (Walsall seam). each of the photo-micrographs are taken in ascending order from near the base upwards. At or near the base the spore contents are negligible. The microspores seem to be the first to make their appearance in any quantities, although megaspores may be present, being as a rule small and having a very tbin wall or exosporium, mostly tuberculated, similar to fig. 25. The micro- spores, fig. 24, lie more or less in parallel laminae, of fairly regular sequence alternating with leaf-laminae similar to figs. 7, 17 and 18. Fig. 18 shows a thin laminae of thin needle-like leaf tissues, probably lepido- dendroid or sigillarian. In some places the microspores are very small, as seen in fig. 24, in others much larger, as seen in fig. 36, these being found near the complete spore coal over 5 ft. from the base. In both the Rugeley and Walsall seams the microspores are the dominant spores to be found, in the lower half of the seam the megaspores not making up any great bulk of the coal substance until more than 2 ft. from the base. In both seams small quantities of isolated megaspores are to be seen of a fairly large size,; they are not to be found in regular lamina: like some of the others which will be noticed later. Fig. 25 is a megaspore from the Walsall seam, found about 1ft. 9 in. to 2 ft. from the base, it having a tuberculated exosporium similar to figs. 5a, 5b (Trilites V. of Bennie and Kidston). These are not common in either seams, although smaller ones of the same species are seen lower in the seams. Another large megaspore is also found about the same horizon in both seams (fig. 26) ; this is to be found in much larger quantities than fig. 25, although it does not continue to any great height in the seam. From 1 ft. 9 in. to 2 ft. 6 in., the spore has a strong thick Fig. 35. - Horizontal section of megaspores (Walsall seam). Fig. 37.—Vertical section showing micro- and megaspores (Walsall seam). Fig. 39.—Vertical ssction, micro- and megaspores (Walsall seam). ■ M— T"-- SBB^. ..... Vjt Fig. 41.—Horizontal section showing megaspores similar to Fig. 39 (Walsall seam). regular and are mostly embedded in a matrix of microspores alternating with lamina; of leaf-like humus. Vertical and horizontal sections from each seam are shown in figs. 19 and 20 Rugeley, figs. 21 and 22 Walsall. It will be seen in each vertical section that Fig. 36.—Horizontal section showing microspores (Walsall seam). ’' M. . ■■ AA ... Fig. 38.—Horizontal section of megaspore (Walsall seam). Fig. 42. (Walsall seam). Fig. 40.—Horizontal section of megaspore (Walsall seam). brown coal seen in figs. 19 and 22. The zones in the vertical section ABC show, three bands separated by thin lamina: of charcoal or mother of coal, at A and B such partings as these are prevalent in most of the spore coals, being at irregular intervals or distances apart.