.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 5 



5CRIPTION OF TWO NEW SPECIES OF FOSSIL CONIFEROUS 

 WOOD FROM IOWA AND MONTANA. 



BY F. H. KNOWLTON, ASS'T CURATOR, FOSSIL PLANTS. 



(With Plates n, in.) 



be material upon which the following observations are based was 

 t by the Rev. E. M. Glasgow, of Estherville, Iowa, to Mr.W. J. McGee, 

 he IT. S. Geological Survey, and by him sent to the U. S. National 

 seum for examination. The specimens are eight in number and are 

 j small fragments, the larger being but G'»' in length and 4 cm iu 

 neter. 



iefore passing to the description of the species it may be well to speak 

 sfly of the arguments in favor of conferring generic and specific 

 les upon woods of this character. It has been objected to on the 

 and that the characters available for the satisfactory identification 

 genera or species are so vague and imperfect that it is not worth while 

 'onfer names upon such material. As an example of this view may 

 iited Sir William Dawson's recent paper, "Note on Fossil Woods 

 ; other Plant Remains, from the Cretaceous and Laramie Formations 

 he Western Territories of Canada,"* in which no specific names or 

 criptions are given, and the genera are compared to a few typical liv- 



genera. 



row, all students who have given their attention to the investigation 

 he internal structure of fossil plants are willing to admit that their 

 sailed genera and species are not as definitely circumscribed nor as 

 irly characterized as they could be if living, but it does not seem 

 t they are on this account any the less valuable as furnishing marks 

 stratigraphic identification or data for the elucidation of problems of 

 elopmcnt. The objects of this study are twofold: First, 'to supply 

 ;o supplement a history of the evolution of the vegetable kingdom, 

 I, second, to give assistance to the stratigraphic geologist. And in 

 ler case, if the facts obtained are to be made use of, the specimens 

 died must be described and named, iu order that subsequent workers 

 y be able to recognize and speak intelligibly of the results attained. 

 !he further objection to naming or describing woods, that they are 

 bably already named from other parts, such as leaves or fruits of 



same plant, is even less defensible than the first, for it is manifestly 

 )ossible, except iu rare instances, to correlate all parts of a fossil 

 nt. It would, of course, be desirable to know the complete life-history 

 my species, but until all the organs are found in actual contact it is 

 i safe to assume identity, and it is also seemingly undesirable to 



ict one series of data to the exclusion of the other. 



* Trans. Roy. Soc. Canada, Sec. iv, 1887, pp. 31-37. 



