OTAGO INSTITUTE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19249, 13 August 1924, Page 10

OTAGO INSTITUTE.

THE FORESTS OF THE CO AH AGE.” The. fourth ordinary meeting for the year of the Otago Institute was held in the biology lecture room at the Museum last evening. The president, Dr W. N. Benson, presided over a good attendance. The lecturer for the evening was Dr J. Holloway, whose subject was '‘The Forests of the Coal Age.” At the outset Dr Holloway explained how he had come to take a special interest in this subject during two years’ residence in the South Yorkshire coalfields. His lecture was freely illustrated by diagrams and lantern slide photographs. At the outset ho drew attention to the vast period in the earth’s history that preceded the carboniferous period, ancient though that was. In the carboniferous period no end oi types of vegetation had been differentiated, and of these he proposed to select three for discussion. He proceeded to describe and illustrate the kinds of trees known to have existed in the coastal forests of North England, perhaps 20 million years ago. By the gradual and (careful piecing together of fossil remains it was wonderful how much could be learned of the form and habit of life of the vegitation of that distant poiod. He explained the geological structure of the Yorkshire and Lancashire area. Prom the “dirt” at the tip-head of mines it wad possible to get all sorts of fossil remains. Most valuable of all were the petrified specimens that occurred in a few coal seams, especially in the lower carboniferous area. In them the anatomical structure was preserved in detail sometimes with marvellous delicacy, and the information they gave wris exceedingly valuable. Goal itself could in some cases give rise to fossils. The lecturer devoted special attention next to the lepidodendron, a tree that flourished in Britain in the carboniferous period. He showed a series of fine photographs of different parts of this tree and explained them in most ■interesting fashion. He described and illustrated in detail the method of reproduction by seed employed by the lepidodendron. This method was subsequently lost, and had had to bo discovered again. The process of petrification was clearly described. Some of the lepidodendrons grew to a height of lOOlt, with trunks quite lift thick. Pictures followed of the sealginella and other pre-sent-day plants that show unmistakable traces of relationship with the ancient lepidodrendon. More briefly the lecturer described two other of the plants that flourished in the period of which he was speaking, the calamito and the pteridosperm. The latter in particular gave rise to some very - beautiful formations which had been most successfully photographed. These were the ancestors of the modern ferns, and showed many obvious points of resemblance. He. showed in conclusion the bearing on evolutionary theory of what had been discovered of the history and progress of these plant forms. A number of valuable fossils illustrative of the lecture were exhibited, and afterwards studied with keen interest. The lecturer answered several questions, and was accorded a hearty vote of thanks by acclamation.