The Preservation of I'lants as J'ossils. 75 



THI-: PRESERVATION OF PLANTS AS FOSSIES. 

 Bv J().si;pH F. Jamks, M. Sc, F. G. S. A. 



(Read bj- Title June 7, 1892.) 



The subject of the preservation of plants in a fossil state is 

 of great importance to all who look back into the past and try 

 to ascertain the origin of our present flora. To some it mat- 

 ters little whether the primeval seas were filled with alg?e or 

 devoid of vegetable life ; to some the species and genera 

 which grew and absorbed the sunlight of long-ago Carbon- 

 iferous times are matters of the utmost indifference. But 

 whether of interest or not, no one can deny the value of those 

 .stores of coal which have resulted from the presence of plant 

 life ; which have given light and life to the world, and have 

 made human exi.stence possible in .spots which otherwise 

 would have remained desert wastes. 



It is a peculiar trait of the human mind to be curious about 

 subjects which come directly under its ob.servation. To this 

 trait, and to that other frequently abused characteristic - — dis- 

 satisfaction, are to be ascribed many of the advances of the 

 world. To the curious we owe the increa.se and perfection of 

 our knowledge to the dissatisfied we are indebted for many 

 improvements in our social and ph^-sical condition. 



The.se curious folk who have delved in the bosom of the 

 earth to gather some information relative to past conditions, 

 have brought to light many facts of great interest. It is true 

 we know but few of the details of the earth's hi.story. That 

 is one reason for the existence of that bane of the paleontolo- 

 gist — the imperfection of the geological record, to which con- 

 stant reference is made when some hiatus becomes manifest. 

 This being filled, it might round out some of our nearl}' com- 

 pleted theories. It might also .serve to dissipate some of our 

 crude but beloved hypotheses. 



There are some statements of geologists which, although 

 made inferentially, may be considered as having reached the 

 stage of probability ; others which may be considered certain- 



