234 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



endemic in this area at present. Coniferous woods from the 

 American Potomac were described by Sinnott and Bartlett 

 (Amer. Journ. Sci. vol. xli. pp. 276-93) from a locality, which 

 though rich in various plant remains, has yielded only coniferous 

 and no dicotyledonous woods. The fossils were described as 

 species of Podocarpoxylon and Paracupressinoxylon, the latter 

 representative of " that group of small-leaved Mesozoic 

 conifers which are preponderantly araucarian in their affinities." 

 Lindley and Hutton's classic specimen of a well-preserved 

 pinus-like cone underwent modern re-examination and re- 

 description by Dutt (Ann. Bot. vol. xxx. pp. 529-49, pi. XV.) 

 under the name Pityostrobus macrocephalus . The cone shows 

 not only well-preserved anatomical details, but is one of the 

 few specimens from the later floras with ovular detail. 



Cycadophyta. — The great event of the year was the appear- 

 ance of the second volume of Wieland's already classic memoir 

 on the American fossil Cycads (Carnegie Publication 34, pp. 277, 

 pis. LVIII. 97 text figs.). This volume, like its predecessor, 

 is magnificently illustrated, and the beautiful text figures are 

 printed so well on such fine paper that the volume is a work 

 of art. It is grievous to think that under present (or even 

 pre-war) conditions no British scientist can hope to get his 

 country to publish his work in a corresponding style. This 

 volume contains fewer new facts than the first, and is largely 

 a bringing together of scattered data and general considerations 

 of the group, its allies and their interrelations. In the body 

 of the work the wonderful " Hermosa Cycadeoid " (C. Dartoni), 

 with its numerous ovulate and young cones, is fully described 

 and magnificently illustrated. Even in such a series of splendid 

 photographs, pi. 46 stands out as a wonderful presentation of 

 a number of cones in section. In the general part of the work 

 almost all the problems involved in a consideration of the 

 groups are either dealt with at length or touched upon, and 

 the position of the author is always interestingly presented, 

 though if considered in detail might sometimes rouse lengthy 

 discussion. The unique position of the group of the Bennet- 

 titales makes these fossils of such moment to palseobotanists 

 that this new volume could only be treated adequately in a 

 special review. 



Of the cycadophyta in a wide sense a species of Nilssonia 

 was recorded from the Cretaceous of W. Queensland by Walkom 



