62 PAL.-EONTOLOGY. 



The last mentioned paper is very full of information, describ- 

 ing the species on the plates 101-106 in Deshayes' Coqiiilles Fossiles 

 dcs Environs de Paris, which were only figured in that work, with- 

 out descriptions. The Oligocene Nummulites are discussed by 

 R. Tournouer,* and the Rhizopoda of the Lower Calcaire Grossier 

 by Berthelinf, Certain genera, as Ovuliies, which have been 

 referred to the Foraminifera are now regarded as Calcareous 

 Algte, and we shall refer to them later on. 



PLANTS. 



The plant remains of the Paris basin are plentiful oncertain horizons 

 and enable us to draw some interesting parallels with the floras 

 of the English beds. The Pisolitic Limestone of Mont Aime has 

 yielded such genera as Marchantia, Aspienium, Aspidium, ^c-X 

 The Sezanne limestone {Butte des Croftes) contains an extremely 

 rich flora which has been classified by the Marquis de Saporta§ — 

 eighty-six species having been described. Some of the more 

 important genera cited are, Aspleninm, Myrica, Dryophyllum, 

 Sassafras, Cyssiis, Magnolia, Juglans. The affinities of this group 

 are Cretaceous and distantly related to those of Ardtun (Isle of 

 Mull). The Bracheux Sands, although not of such botanicil 

 importance as the Sezanne beds, have yielded an interesting flora 

 which has been described by Watelet.|| Stanislas Meunier^ 

 summarises the flora of this horizon in the following words : 

 " Appearance in the sands of Bracheux of some families of 

 Monocotyledons ; disappearance of the family Cycadce ; appearance 

 of Morece, of Platanacece, and of Proteacece ; complete absence of 

 Monopetakc ; covam&nc&ment o{ Poiypetali^y The sandstone of 

 Belleu contained well-preserved plant-remains ; but the quarries 

 are now exhausted. The flora has many species in common with 

 that of the Lower Bagshot of Alum Bay, such species as Ficns 

 Boiverbanki, Laurus {?) Salteri, Cinnamomuvi Larteti, Quercus 

 eoccenica, Dryandra, &c., are characteristic.** The Soissonnais 

 Sands have yielded another rich and interesting flora, inclu- 

 ding palms, as Endogenites echinatus ; many other genera are 

 recorded by Watelet.ft 



The Calcaire Grossier flora is to a certain extent homotaxial 

 with that of the Bournemouth beds. The Banc Royal contains 



* Tournouer, Bidt. Soc.Gcol. dc France, 2e. S(5r., t. xxvi. pp. 974-982, Paris (1S69). 



t 'BcrthAm, Coupe d'a'il sur la Faune Rhizofiodigue du Calc Gross. Inf. d' la Marnc, 

 Bull. Soc./ranfaise pour tavanc. des Sci. (iSSo), p. 553. For full bibliography consult, 

 A Bibliography of the Forain.,C. D. Sherborn, London (1888 1, and for works on F'rench 

 Rhizopoda, 'ihe Bibliography of the Foraiit., \ Woodward, Geol.&^ Xat. Jiist.Simi of 

 Minnesota, S. Paul, Minn. 11886', p. 234. 



% Pomel, Supfr. a la 6ib. de Gen}ve. Arch, des Sci. Phy. et Nat. (1S47), t. v., p. 301. 



§ Saporta, Mem. Soc. Geol. Fr., 2e. s6r. (1868), t. viii., p. 289. 



II Watelet, Desc. des plantesjoss. du Bass, de Paris (18661, p 253. 



•[ S. Meunier, Geol. des Env. de Paris, Paris (1S75), p. 136. 

 ** E. Fallot, Ann. Geol. L'nir., t. v. (1S8S), p. 454. 

 tt W'atelel, op. cit., p. 255. 



