256 NATURAL SCIENCE. Oct.. 



a variety of Cypridea tuherciilata, Sow., named ivyomingensis by Professor 

 Jones (Gfo/. Mag., Sept., 1893). 



A. HoLLicK claims to have discovered a fossil palm-leaf in the 

 Cretaceous formation at Glen Cove, Long Island, a discovery of 

 some significance, as " other fossil leaves associated with it show the 

 geological horizon to be the equivalent of the Amboy Clays of New 

 Jersey and other middle Cretaceous strata in America and Europe, 

 from none of which have palms been definitely recorded." The 

 leaf, which is small, fan-shaped, and about three inches across, is 

 made to rank as a new genus, Serenopsis, the name indicating its 

 supposed ancestral relation to the Southern Palmetto [Sereiiaa). 



The genus was established in the April number of the Bulletin 

 of the Torrey Botanical Club, and the August number of the same 

 journal contains some further information obtained from a second 

 specimen recently found, and in a better state of preservation. It 

 may be well to mention that Professor Lester Ward, whose opinion 

 on the specimens was asked, does not think it a palm, " but suggests 

 that it is more likely to be allied to the organisms which have been 

 called Williamsonia, whose affinities are exceedingly problematic." 



It has long been uncertain whether the typical Carboniferous 

 plant, Lepidodendvon, occurs so low as the Devonian rocks in Australia. 

 Messrs. Pittman and David now seem to have settled the question by 

 its discovery on Mt. Lambie, New South Wales {Proc. Linn. Soc. 

 N.S. Wales [2], vol. viii., p. 121). 



The idea that there were high alps with glaciers in the neigh- 

 bourhood of central France when the Coal-measures of that region 

 were deposited, finds favour with another geologist who has been 

 studying the curious breccias and barren strata in the series 

 (A. Julien, Comptes Reiidiis, vol. cxvii., 1893, PP* 344~346)- The 

 result is very interesting, and the conclusions seem far from impro- 

 bable ; but we are pleased to observe that Mr. Mark Stirrup, in his 

 latest paper on the boulders from the Lancashire Coal-measures, 

 does not attempt to infer the occurrence of glacial conditions from 

 the comparatively insignificant phenomena in his region (Trans. 

 Manchester Geol. Soc, vol. xxii., 1893, PP- 32i-33i)- IMr. Stirrup 

 confines himself to the careful observation of the facts of the case, 

 and Professor Bonney has minutely examined many of the pebbles 

 from the petrologist's point of view. Besides the well-known 

 quartzites, Mr. Stirrup has now discovered examples of granite, 

 gneiss, and probably felsite, but all these rocks are seen to be much 

 decomposed when examined microscopically. Professor Bonney thinks 

 they could all probably be " matched " in Scotland, though nothing 

 definite can be stated as to their derivation. It is now evident 



