i894. A BRITISH PALM. 207 



Though described under a different name, Palceoheura, I have no 

 doubt as to their identity with Nipadites. 



The conditions under which the fossils are found show that, Hke 

 their modern representative on the shores of tropical Asia, the palms 

 from which they fell grew in the rich brackish mud of the shore or 

 estuary. Associated with the Sheppey fruits are remains of crabs, 

 fresh-water turtles, and a great variety of fruits and seeds, with stems 

 and branches; such a collection, in fact, as characterises the delta of a 

 large river. The great diversity of forms, and the water-worn condi- 

 tion of many of the specimens, indicate a collection brought together 

 from a large area. The Belgian and Italian fruits must have floated 

 some time, as they are often much bored by the teredo, and the 

 associated fossils have a somewhat more marine character than those 

 from the London Clay. On the other hand, the appearance of the 

 fruits which we saw on the Sussex coast gave the idea that they 

 might have grown close by, so uniform was their size and condition. 

 The absence of teredo-borings and water-wear favours this view, but 

 this being the case, we should almost expect to find traces of the stem 

 or leaves of the palm ; these, however, have not yet been found in 

 any locality. Water-worn drift-wood, showing coniferous and 

 dicotyledonous structure, occurred along with the West Wittering 

 specimens. 



From the general facies of the flora and fauna in the different 

 beds in which Nipadites are found, there is ample evidence, as 

 Bowerbank, Ettingshausen, and Schimper have demonstrated, of 

 the existence of a climate much warmer than the present, and 

 approaching a tropical one, or at least subtropical in character. 



A. B, Rendle. 



