OF THE GENUS NIPADITES. 147 
saw the London-Clay fruits, or he would not have included under 
his diagnosis of W. Burtini species so obviously distinct as 
NV. giganteus and N. cordiformis. 
The genus Paleokeura was founded by Massalongo in 1858, 
in a short paper entitled “ Plante fossiles nove in formationibus 
tertiariis Regni Veneti,” from specimens found near Breonio in 
the Province of Verona. He first referred them to Mipadites ; 
but in his published account gives reasons for separating them 
from that genus. Some of these are insufficient, and others are 
based on the imperfect description of the seed given by Bower- 
bank. Thus, he says, it cannot be included in Nipadites, as it has 
not an umbonate apex, the base is not lacerated and hollowed, nor 
is the endocarp thin and fibrous, but stony; while the seed does 
not show in section the rows of cells radiating from the centre, 
nor the central embryo, described by Bowerbank, the embryo 
being basal. The seeds in the Sheppey fruits have, however, 
been entirely replaced by mineral in which I can find no indication 
of radiating cell-rows or a central embryo; on the contrary, the 
frequently hollowed base indicates the position occupied by a 
basal embryo; while the stony endocarp described by Massalongo 
is present in many of the Belgian specimens of V. Burtini and 
others. Finally, the umbonate apex is not universal, while the 
contracted entire base resembles that of fresh Nipa fruits. The 
description is accompanied by admirable figures of the fruit and 
seed, which correspond well with some from the Brussels Eocene. 
Schimper does not mention Palgokeura; but it is included by 
Meschinelli and Squinabol in their recently published ‘ F.ora 
Tertiaria Italica ’ (1893). 
In my revision I have carefully compared all the specimens at 
the British Museum, including Bowerbank’s collection, a good 
series from the Belgian beds, and anumber which Mr. Shrubsole, 
of Sheerness, has kindly collected for me; also a few from the 
London Clay preserved in the Jermyn Street Museum. Unfor- 
tunately, owing to their strongly pyritized condition, the London- 
Clay fossils soon “shoot their salts,” as Dr. Parsons says, and 
crumble on exposure to air. 
I was induced to look intothe genus byan interesting discovery, 
by my friend Mr. Clement Reid, in the Bracklesham Beds, at 
Bracklesham and at West Wittering, Sussex, and more recently 
at Hengistbury Head, near Christchurch, Hants, of some fine 
specimens as large as the Belgian ones. Unhappily, it seems 
