48 JOURNAL OF THE [March, 



in the Jurassic period (the Wealden epoch), on the upper hori- 

 zon of it, or in the lower Triassic. The living representatives 

 at the present time are confined to the southern hemisphere, to 

 Brazil, Chili, but especially to Australia, and Norfolk-Island. 

 Araucarias are found in the Carboniferous strata, closely allied 

 to the specimen present, but, as with it are found other fossils, 

 including sharks' teeth, which indicate a period later than the 

 Carboniferous, the horizon of our specimen is more probably 

 Jurassic or Triassic. Additional characteristic fossils of the 

 place from which this specimen was taken must be found and 

 determined, to settle the question definitely." 



VOLVOX GLOBATOR KEPT ALIVE FOR THREE MONTHS. 



Mr. A. D. Balen : "I have brought some specimens of Vol- 

 vox globaior which are interesting from the fact that they were 

 taken from a bottle which has contained living organisms like 

 these for three months, dating back from to-night, February 5th. 

 During the last ten years I have made numerous attempts to 

 keep these plants alive, but, except in the present instance, have 

 found that they usually die out in about two or three weeks. 

 Running through the southern portion of Plainfield is Cedar 

 brook, a part of which, between Park and Prospect Avenues, 

 passes through low ground, swampy in wet seasons, but some- 

 times quite dry. About half way between the avenues, there are 

 several depressions which form little ponds. From these I 

 have for several years taken plants and animals for microscopical 

 examination, among them Volvox, which at times was very 

 abundant. On November 5th, 1885, from the contents of each 

 of three of those ponds I filled a four ounce quinine bottle. I 

 took the bottles home, and on examination found a large quan- 

 tity of Volvox in one, but only a small quantity in the others. All 

 were in the ordinary sterile condition. After a few days none 

 were visible in two of the bottles, but in the remaining bottle 

 they had increased in number. This increase continued until a 

 fire was made in the stove in my room, January 13th, 1886, when 

 the Volvox lost color and began to disappear, owing, I thought, 

 to the effects of coal-gas from the stove. I moved this third 

 bottle to a window further from the stove than it had been 

 placed, and, on the 17th, filled it with water from a well to re- 

 place what had evaporated. From that time the plants again in- 



