Unpublished paper, 'The Bakerian Lecture 1870: On the pre-Carboniferous flora of North-Eastern America, and more especially on that of the Devonian period' by J W [John William] Dawson

Description

The attention of the author was first directed to the Devonian as distinguished from the Carboniferous flora by the discovery, on the part of William Edmond Logan, in 1843, of some remains of plants in the sandstones of Gaspé, Canada. In 1859, after visiting Gaspé to study these plants in situ, Dawson published descriptions of them, and more particularly of the two characteristic Lower-Devonian genera Prototaxites and Psilophyton, in the Journal of the Geological Society. Subsequently additional material was obtained by personal investigation of the Devonian of Maine and New Brunswick, and, through James Hall, from that of New York. These additional plants were also published in the Journal of the Geological Society.

Marked on front as 'Archives Jan 19/71'. With 23 pages of drawings and photographs and 17 pages of explanations of the figures.

The Bakerian Medal and Lecture is the Royal Society's premier lecture in physical sciences. The lectureship was established through a bequest by Henry Baker of £100 for 'an oration or discourse on such part of natural history or experimental philosophy, at such time and in such manner as the President and Council of the Society for the time being shall please to order and appoint'. The lectureship has been awarded annually since 1775.

Subject: Geology / Botany / Palaeontology

Received 27 April 1870. Read 5 May 1870.

Whilst the Royal Society declined to publish this paper in full, an abstract of the paper was published in volume 18 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'The Bakerian Lecture—On the pre-carboniferous floras of North-Eastern America, with especial reference to that of the Erian (Devonian) Period'.

Reference number

AP/52/3

Earliest possible date

1870

Physical description

Ink on paper

Page extent

168 pages

Format

Drawing
Manuscript