with Descriptions of New Sp / /' /,-. 



and especially tropical countries, an entire want of resemblance 

 or affinity at once discovered itself, and the only instructive 

 comparisons made were with the present vegetation of our 

 country, with that of the Miocene Tertiaries of Europe, and 

 with the living plants of China and Japan. There is every 

 reason to believe that future observations will make immense 

 additions to this flora, and satisfactory comparisons and gene- 

 ralizations will only be possible when a far more complete 

 series of its plants can be subjected to study. Ir ie a'-- true 

 that as yet little other than the leaves of these plants have b 

 collected and employed in the deductions made from them. 

 From the character of the sediments which enclose the leaves, 

 it is quite certain that the fruits and seeds air also preserved, 

 but as these are less conspicuous and noticeable than the lea 

 they are little likely to be found unless specially sought ; ami 

 it will only be when they are made the objects ••[' search that 

 they will be discovered, and lend their important assistance in 

 the solution of the problems which the leaves present F< >r the 

 want of such assistance as these organs would furnish, aomi 

 the material included in the collection dors not now admit -A 

 satisfactory classification ; and the reference of some "t r 

 leaves to the genera under which they are placed, mnst 

 regarded as provisional, and liable to modification by further 

 research. Quite a number of these plants are, how, 

 largely represented in the collection, so well preserved, ami so 

 clearly allied to the genera and species with which 

 familiar, that they constitute fair material from which toil 

 general characters atid affinity of the flora of which they fori 

 part. In this list may be mentioned the Oly\ 

 which the stems, bearing the !■ . of different torn 

 cones, and the sterile capUvla^ are all present, and 

 resemble the specimens obtained by Prof. Heer from I 

 •Miocene of Europe, that they might aim I tin 



originals from which his figures were taken. The / 

 described is evidently a close analogue '>"'■'• 



api:il. 3 



