Notes on the genus Widdringtonites 
EpwarpD W. BERRY 
(WITH PLATES 24, 25) 
It is the fashion among a large proportion of botanical students 
either to ignore or actually to deride botanical determinations 
based upon the remains of the foliage of fossil plants. While this 
is perhaps justified in some instances by the sanguine determina- 
tions of some paleobotanists, particularly those who might with 
Propriety be referred to as the ‘fathers’ of this as yet young 
science (such men as Unger, Heer, and Ettingshausen), the real 
importance of their work is generally underestimated. 
The careful description and illustration of a fossil flora is of 
immense importance even if seventy-five per cent of the identifica- 
Hons are wrong, and for the following reasons: For the purpose of 
correlating distant geological formations fossils are theoretically 
almost as useful unnamed as named, or at least they would be 
if there were some medium for intellectual exchange that did not 
require names, 
To illustrate their value to the botanist I will take the case of 
A who describes the flora of the Cretaceous or Tertiary of Bohemia, 
misidentifying half of his species. B studies the Cretaceous or 
weeny flora of Greenland and finds a number of specimens like 
S types. Several of B’s specimens are better preserved, or are 
*epresented by more material, or have attached fruits or seeds, 
thus enabling B to correct some of A’s wrong determinations. C 
ipa the Cretaceous or Tertiary flora of America or Asia and 
A’s 2 eens corrects or substantiates beyond cavil some of 
Original - determinations. Thus in time we come to know A's 
hyl ora and are enabled to make many deductions regarding 
see climate, and distribution, which would be entirely 
te % if A had waited until he had his species represented by 
» “Tuits, and seeds, which would probably have been never. 
ave assumed that foliage remains are not capable of un- 
