166 PALEOBOTANY [BoT. Absts,, Vol. VII, 



1107. Kryshtofovich, A. A fossil walnut from Tsurumi in the district of Konagawa, 

 Japan. Jour. Geol. Soc. Tokyo. 1920. 6 p., 1 pi. 1920.— The author describes a walnut 

 close to the existing Juglans sieholdiana from the supposed Tertiary of Tsurumi, Japan.— 

 E. W. Berry. 



1108. Mayas, G. Funde neuer Pflanzenreste aus dem Kulm von Chemnitz-Borna. [New 

 fossil plants from the Culm (Lower Carboniferous) of Chemnitz-Borna.] XX Bericht Naturw. 

 Gesell. Chemnitz. 55-68. 1 fig., -4 pl- 1920.— The author records the following from the 

 Lower Carboniferous of Chemnitz-Borna: Fourteen Archaeopteridae, of which Adiantites 

 neuropteroides, Sphenopieridium beckerti, S. divaricatum, and S. latilobatum are new; 

 thirteen Sphenoptcridae, of which Rhodea minima and R. nindeli are new; two Pecopteridae; 

 tw^o Neuropteridae; and two ferm stems.— £'. W. Berry. 



1109. Menzel, p. tJber Pflanzenreste aus Basalttuflfen des Kamerungebietes. [On 

 plant fossils from the Basalt tuff of Kamerum.] Beitr. Geol. Erfors. Deutschen Schutz- 

 gebiete 18: 17-32. Fig. 6, pl. 1. Geol. Landesanstalt: Berlin, 1920.— The author lists 234 

 species in 48 families of tropical African plants preserved in a volcanic tuff in Kamerun, one 

 of the former German colonies in western Africa. The only species described and figured 

 is a species of Sterculia close to the existing S. tragacantha Lindley. All of the fossils are 

 extremely close to still-existing species of the region, and their age is not determined, but 

 may be anything from late Tertiary to recent. The probabilities all point to the very modern 

 age of the fossil flora.— E. W. Berry. 



1110. MoHR, H. tJber Funde von Holzkohle im Loszlehm von St. Peter bei Gratz. [On 

 the finding of Lignite in the loamy loess at St. Peter near Gratz.] Ver. Geol. R.-A. 1919: 327- 

 332. 1919.— The author records lignite in the loamy loess of the Pleistocene from near Gratz 

 in Styria.— -E. W. Berry. 



nil. MooDiE, R. L. Thread moulds and bacteria in the Devonian. Science 51:14. 

 Jan., 1920.— While making a study of the skeletal parts of ancient vertebrates, the attention 

 of the writer was attracted to enlarged and distorted shapes of lacunae in the carapace of 

 Borthriolepis and Coccosteus, and to the occurrence of thread moulds and bacteria in the 

 lacunar spaces. The course of growth of these organisms is briefly described. The conditions 

 as outlined by the author are regarded as those of decay of ancient times, and not of disease. 

 He considers that agents of decay similar to those of the present time have been at work for 

 many millions of years, at least since Devonian times.— A. H. Chivers. 



1112. MooDiE, R. L. Evolution's most romantic moment. Sci. Monthly. 11:464-469. 

 5 fig. 1920.— The Mazon creek in northern Illinois has just cut through 40 feet of glacial 

 deposit and into the shales and rock of the Coal Period. These red shales contain an occa- 

 sional rounded nodule which cracks open and reveals a Paleozoic insect, fish, leaf, or one of 

 the first animals with legs, such as our present day mud-puppies.— L. Pace. 



1113. Moore, R. L. Ancient bacteria and the beginnings of disease. Sci. Monthly 11: 

 362-364. 1920.— Germs are among the oldest inhabitants of the earth. Walcott discov- 

 ered bacteria in the oldest fossil-bearing rocks of North America in central Montana. They 

 were rock builders and were found in association with algae. An analogous form is especi- 

 ally active in the Coral reefs in the West Indies today. These ancient ones are called Micro- 

 coccus. They were harmless. It is only after the Coal Period that infected wounds are 

 found. The action of early parasites on the shells of ancient animals is the oldest evidence 

 of disease.— Early man may have acquired some of his diseases from animals; for, as seen 

 from the diseased appearance of their bones, men of the stone ages were often afflicted with 

 the same maladies as the cave-inhabiting animals.— L. Pace. 



1114. NiNDEL, F. Ein Beitrag zur Foyolia sterzeliana (Weiss) aus dem OberKulm von 

 Chemnitz-Borna. [Notes on Fayolia sterzeliana from the upper Culm (Lower Carboniferous) 

 of Chemnitz-Borna.] XX Bericht Naturw. Gesell. Chemnitz. 49-54. Fig. 3. 1920. 



