10 CONTRIBUTIONS TO FOSSIL .BOTANY, PUBLISHED 1869. 



Since writing the above, I have seen the report of a paper presented 

 by Mr. M'Nab to the Edinbnrgh Botanic Society, in which he speaks 

 of the male flowers of Ruscus not appearing till March and. April. I 

 can speak, from my own observation, of finding the plant abundantly 

 in flower in Surrey, several years in the early part of January, even 

 during the present season after the severe frost at Christmas. I can- 

 not, however, be certain of having observed male flowers at that time. 

 Is it possible that the female flowers appear in January, and the 

 male flowers not till March ? May 1 be permitted to doubt whether 

 there is not a possibility of error in the instance alleged by Dr. M'Nab, 

 of fruit and rudimentary male flowers being found on the same branch ?* 

 It would, I think, be difficult to distinguish the male from the female 

 buds at a very early stage, even by the microscope. — A. W. B. 



Jv^prts* 



[Under this head the editors hope to be able to give a periodical 

 resume of the progress of different branches of botanical science at 

 home and abroad. Arrangements have been made for a series of re- 

 ports on critical, British, physiological, structural, fossil and econo- 

 mic botany, from botanists who have made a special study of these 

 various branches.] 



REVIEW OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO EOSSIL BOTANY 



PUBLISHED IN BRITAIN IN 1869. ' 



By William Cakruthers, F.L.S., 



Of the British Museum. 



During the year the following papers have been published : — 



Baily, W. H. Notice of Plant-remains from Beds interstratified with 



the Basalt in the County of Antrim. Quart.~ Journ. Geol. Soc, 



vol. XXV. pp. 397-362, pi. xiv. and xv. 



These beds occui- under similar conditions to those in the Island of 



Mull, and contain a series of allied fossils, chiefly dicotyledonous leaves 



* The editors of the ' Gardeners' Chronicle' hare seen a similar instance (vide 

 Gard. Chron. 1870, ja. 178). We have collected male flowers in perfection at 

 the end of April in Sm-rey.— [Editors Jouen. of Bot.] 



