Palaeontologie. — Eumycetes. 85 



Mosses. Part IV. (Trans. Royal Soc. Edinburgh XLVTI. 4. (N". 26) 

 p. 793—833 with ill. and 5 pl. 1911.) 



This contribution deals with investigations carried on in 1907, 

 1908 and 1909, and is a continuation of carlier papers (Bot. Cent. 

 104 p. 108 and 107 p. 3S1), forming a series describing observations 

 from Southern Scotland to the Shetland Islands and Ireland. 

 The present part includes a Short note on methods, the best results 

 being obtained after prolonged treatment with weak nitric acid. The 

 areas investigated include several islands in the Shetlands, and 

 parts ot" the north and west of Scotland. The general sequenee in 

 the older peat in Shetland begins with a basal arctic Stratum on 

 boulder clay, above there is a forest layer with large trees of Betula, 

 Alnus glutinosa, and Pyrits auaiparia; at a higher level there is a 

 second arctic Stratum with Salix herbacea and Betula nana. The 

 conditions of peat formation in the Shetlands are discussed. espe- 

 cially the occurrence of a forest bed on islands where trees no 

 longer exist naturally; the plants identified !ead to the conclusion 

 that they are representative of a swampy deciduous wood in the 

 lowlands of any part of Southern Britain at the present time, 

 while the size and position of the trees suggests different meteoro- 

 logical conditions from the present. 



An important part of the paper deals with the question whether 

 the first and second Arctic beds and the lower und upper Forest 

 strata are true datum lines. Lewis made measurements of three 

 sections of peat (20—50 metres lang) in Shetland, Inverness- 

 shire, and Southern Scotland respectively and gives here (PI. V) 

 details to scale. The evidence from these sections is correlated in 

 support of the view that these strata are definite horizons represen- 

 ting distinct climatic phases during the early post-glacial stages. 

 The upper forest bed may represent a stage due to edaphic causes, 

 but if this is so it is difhcult to account for this bed as far above 

 and beyond the present tree limit. The view of Blytt that the 

 forest beds indicate dry periods is not upheld by the plants collected. 



Notes on peat deposits in Iceland are given in an appendix, 

 and here a continuous layer of tree remains is recorded. 



W. G. Smith. 



Seward, A. C, A new genus of Fossil Plants from the 



Stormberg Series of Cape Colon y. (Geol. Mag. VIII. Dec. 5. 



1911. p. 298—299. pl. 14.) 



A Single specimen, which is a partly carbonised impression of 



a frond 11 cm. long forms the basis of a new genus diagnosed as 



follows: "pinnules with the Cladophlebis type of venation, attached 



to the pinnae by a short stalk. The lamina is suddenly contracted 



at the base and not auriculate". 5. Gardneri the only species, is 



diagnosed in the same terms as the genus. M. C. Stopes. 



Cheesman, W. N., A contribution to the mycologic Flora 

 and the Mycetosoa of the Rocky Mountains. (Trans. Brit. 

 mycol. Soc. Season 1910. p. 267—276. Publ. 1911,) 



A list of about 100 species of the larger fungi with briet" notes 

 on the habitat and general distribution. A further list of 36 species 

 of Mycetosoa is given with notes on the same by Miss G. Lister. 



A. D. Cotton. 



