114 REVIEAV OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO FOSSIL BOTANY. 



(liius arctnsis, var. vestltns, Reiclib. (Cirsiiitii vestitum, Wimm.), which is 

 the variety setosus with the leaves clothed underneath with dense white 

 hairs, and Ceutaurea Jucea, L. This last was very abundant, and I 

 noticed several forms which seem to be those figured and described by 

 Eeichenbach as lacera, ciicidUgei'a, and crispo-fimhriata. According to 

 Synie (Eng. Bot., v. 31), the plant found at Acton was C. amara, De Cand., 

 which is quite different. This I have not noticed about London. To 

 these may also be added Sida spicijlora, De Cand., noticed in 18(36, and 

 Malva verticillata (in Gard. Chron., October 9, 1869, p. 1U67). — W. T. 

 Thiselton Dyer. 



Botany. — When did the word "Botany" come to have its present 

 signification? — VV. T. Thiselton Dyer. 



leports* 



REVIEW OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO FOSSIL BOTANY 

 PUBLISHED IN BRITAIN IN 1870. 



By William Carruthers, F.L.S. 



Carruthers, W. On Fossil Cycadean Stems from the Secondary Rocks 



of Britain. Trans. Linn. Soc. vol. xxvi. pp. 675-708, pi. liv-lxiii. 

 After investigating the nature of the Palaeozoic remains referred to 

 CycadecB, the author describes twenty-five species belonging to eiglit 

 genera. Four of the genera are placed in one or otiier of the tribes of 

 the existing Cycads, while two new tribes are established for the remain- 

 ing genera. 

 On the Petrified Forest near Cairo. Geol. Mag. vol. vii, 



pp. 306-310, pi. xiv. 

 The so-called forest is described, and the difierent specimens of silicified 

 woods found in it are referred to two species of the genus Nicolia. 

 ■ On the Structure of a Fern-stem from tlie Lower 



Eocene of Heme Bay, and on its Allies, liecent and Fossil. Quart. 



Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xxvi. pp. 349-353. 



The stem {Osmundites DowJ,-eri) is minutely described, ami compared 



with that of Osmnnda rer/alis, L. A new arrangement of some described 



Fern-stems from Palaeozoic and Mesozoic rocks is proposed by the author. 



Daayson, J. W. On the Pre-carboniferous Floras of North-eastern 



America, with especial reference to that of the Eriau (Devonian) 



Period. Abstract. ' Proceedings of Royal Society,' May 5, 1870, 

 The Erian Flora is revised, and twenty-three new species added. Large 

 trunks of Protutaxites are described, and also two species of Pulopliyton, 

 with details of their form, structure, and fructification. The occurrence 

 of LepidojjJdolos and Calamodendrou, noticed for the first time in the 

 Middle Devonian ; specimens of Cyclod'ujma and Cardiocarpwriy and a 

 new genus, Ormoxylon, are described. 

 • On the Graphite of the Laurentian Rocks of Canada. 



Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xxvi. pp. 113-117. 

 The author estimates that the quantity of carbon in the Laurentian is 



