8^ Reign of Angiosperms. 



of the vegetables contained in them. One important point 

 only leaves me in doubt : this relates to the Lignites of the 

 environs of Frankfort or Wetteravia, the plants of which are 

 pretty generally analogous to those of CEningen or Part- 

 schlug in Styria ; although their geological position seems to 

 call upon us to refer them to a more ancient formation. 



*' It is probable that a more complete knowledge of these 

 diverse deposits would lead to a division into distinct epochs 

 more numerous ; but I think that, in the meantime, the divi- 

 sion into three principal epochs, which I shall designate, with 

 the majority of geologists, by the names Eocene, Miocene, 

 and Pliocene, is sufficient for a comparison of the successive 

 changes of the vegetable kingdom. I shall point out for 

 each of them the localities which I think should be compre- 

 hended under these different designations. 



" With regard to the general characters which result from 

 the comparative examinations of these Floras, we find that the 

 number of species, in the great divisions, are thus distributed 

 in these three Floras : — 



Total, 209 ... 209 ... 212 ... 



" It may only be remarked that, in the first column, or Eocene 

 formation, the fossil fruits of the Isle of Sheppey — a part only 

 of which have been described by M. Bowerbank— have a great 

 influence on the numbers of the difi'erent divisions of Phane- 

 rogams, and that this locality appears altogether exceptional, 

 and is, perhaps, an example of the effect of currents convey- 

 ing exotic fruits from remote climates, and accumulating them 

 on a point of the shores of Europe. 



