Palaeontologie. 129 



The peat of the second type, that of the 25-feet raised beach, 

 Shows at the base remains of Conjlus Avellana L., Betula alba L., 

 and Alnus gkitinosa Goertn., which later give place to a great 

 growth of Phragmites on some of the beaches. and mosses such as 

 Hypiiiun on others. This in turn was succeeded by Vegetation 

 essentially similar to that found inland. It is remarked that the 

 Vegetation at present covering the peat areas is nearly always of a 

 drier type then that found at slightly greater depths in the peat, 

 and this fact is not without its bearing upon the present denuded 

 State of the peat areas. A compartson is also made between the 

 peat of the Southern Uplands and of the Highlands of Scotland. 



The third tj^pe, the Lowland Peat, occupies large hollows in 

 the tili between the outcrop of Silurian rocks and reaches a depth 

 of about 20 feet. No Arctic plants occur at the base. The basal 

 Vegetation consists of shrubby birch, followed by beds representing 

 lake or swamp conditions, succeeded by forest, and finallj^ by wet 

 moorland conditions. 



Instances of buried peat are described, and the denudation of 

 the peat is discussed. The author concludes that the evidence at 

 present available from the Scottish peat mosses gives strong support 

 to the view that the later phases of the glacial period were separated 

 by fairly long, genial, interglacial periods. Arber (Cambridge). 



Scott, D. H., The Life and Work of Bernard Renault. 

 (Journ. Roy. Microsc. Soc. 1906, p. 129—145, pls. 4—5). 



The subject of this Presidential address was one of the leaders 

 in the elucidation of the structure of fossil plants by means of 

 microscopic investigation. In the short account of his life, the author 

 describes some of Renault's experiences when collecting material 

 at Au tun and elsewhere, of the difficulties under which his work 

 was always performed, and the neglect and discouragement which 

 he suffered throughout his career. Passing to his botanical work, 

 which may be divided into two divisions, the second coinciding 

 approximately with the last ten 5^ears of his life, the author notices 

 more especially Renault's work on the Botryopteridece , Pecopte- 

 ridecE, Neuropteridece , Cordaitece and Poroxylece. The hj^potheses 

 as to the method of fertilisation in Permo Carboniferous seeds, 

 deduced by Renault from the structure of fossil poUen-grains, and 

 Renault's views on the question of the secondary wood of Palaeozoic 

 Cryptogams, are also discussed at some length. 



The address concludes with a bibliography of references to 

 Renault's more important works. An excellent portrait of the 

 subject of the memoir, and a photograph of his laboratory and 

 Workshop in Paris illustrate the paper. Arber (Cambridge) 



Scott, D. H., The occurrence of Germinating Spores in 

 Staiiropteris oldhaniia. (New Phytologist, Vol. V, p. 170—172, with 

 two textfigures, 1906). 



Germinating spores have been found in a sporangium belonging 

 to Staiiropteris oldhaynia, an Observation which appears decisive in 

 favour of the reference of this plant to Füicinece. In the previous 

 note, by the satne author, on this fossil fructification, the question 

 was left open whether it was a member of the true Ferns, or a 

 Pteridosperm. 



Botan. Centralblatt. Band 104. 19o7. . 9 



