THE 



ORIGIN OF THE BRITISH FLORA. 



CHAPTER I. 



Introduction. 



In the year 1876, happening to be engaged on the 

 Geological Survey of East Norfolk, I was led to 

 commence observation on the plants of the Preglacial 

 ' Cromer Forest-bed.' At first I confined my efforts to 

 collecting the animals and plants, some of the latter being 

 afterwards determined by Mr. Carruthers. But it soon 

 became obvious that, in order to obtain any satisfactory 

 knowledge of the subject, it was necessary to collect and 

 study the ripe seeds and fruits of our British plants, and to 

 devote much of my leisure to the work of comparison ; 

 fossil seeds had seldom been collected in this country, and 

 recent plants with perfectly ripe seeds were seldom to be 

 found in our herbaria. 



From a study of the plants of the Cromer Forest-bed, 

 the work gradually expanded into an examination of any 

 Newer Tertiary plants that could be found in Britain, and 

 as during the past twenty years my employment on the 

 Geological Survey of England has necessitated a close 

 scrutiny of our Newer Tertiary deposits, especially in the 

 south and east of England, I have been brought continu- 

 ally face to face with the problems of the origin of our 

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