232 THE WEALDEN FLORA. 



" = " signify ? and why — as Mr. Beeby tells us is our duty — should 

 we be "very grateful to Mr. Dyer for his pronouncement," which is 

 manifestly inaccurate, if typography and signs mean anything ? 



In the absence of any explanation, the statement " encetorum 

 = sylvestris" can only mean what Mr. Druce says it means. That 

 such explanation is nowhere given in the Index Kewensis is no fault 

 of Mr, Jackson ; and those who are responsible for the suppression 

 of the necessary introduction have, as we have before said, done 

 their best to minimize the usefulness of the work. 



Catalor/ue of the Mesozoic Plaints of the Department of Geology, British 

 Museum (Natural History). The Wealden Flora. Sec. II. — 

 Gymnospermeae. By A. C. Seward, M.A., F.G.S., University 

 Lecturer in Botany, Cambridge. London, 1895. 8vo, pp. 259, 

 tt. 20. Price 15s. 



The author completes his account of the Wealden Flora as 

 represented in the rich collections of the British Museum, which 

 were lately so greatly extended by the purchase of the series 

 collected by Mr. Eufford, of Hastings. The first part of the work, 

 published a little more than a year ago, was noticed in detail in 

 these pages (1894, p. 282). It dealt with the Cryptogamic plants, 

 and the Flora is now completed by the descriptions of the Gymno- 

 sperms. No specimens have been seen that can be referred to 

 Angiosperms. Mr. Seward describes eighteen species of Cycadacea, 

 of which five are new ; ten species of Coniferic, of which five are 

 new ; and two new genera, each with a single species ; making 

 thirty species in all. 



The Cycadean remains are grouped as leaves, scales, fruits, 

 flowers, and trunks. He records ten species based on leaves ; two 

 of these are placed in Cycadites, one being new, though the points 

 of distinction between it and C. Roemeri are somewhat unsatisfactory. 

 " In view of the exceptionally large size of the Ecclesbourne speci- 

 mens, and the satisfactory manner of preservation, it is better to 

 adopt a new specific term." And then in reference to another 

 species from Portugal described by Saporta, he says, " The figures 

 of the frond fragments show a very distinct resemblance to the 

 English specimens which I have referred to the new species C. 

 SaportcE. Possibly the Portuguese and British plants should be 

 placed in one species, but, for the present at least," they are kept 

 separate, because " in the English fronds the pinnte are somewhat 

 stouter, the tips more sharply acuminate, and the general habit of 

 the leaf appears to be rather stifier than in C. tenuisectiis." Two 

 species of Dioonites are described, a Nilssonia, two belonging to 

 Otozamites (of which one is new), and one to Anomozamitcs. Two 

 forms of scales are figured, one spear-shaped, the other broad, and 

 wisely no specific names are introduced for them. A fruit believed 

 to be Cycadean is figured and described, but not named. For 

 flowers there is a very singular fossil described as Androstrobus 

 Nathorsti, the surface of two scales presenting depressions which 

 the author believes to be due to the anthers. We would suggest 



