1868. | ( 93 ) 
8. GEOLOGY AND PALAZONTOLOGY. 
(Including the Proceedings of the Geological Society.) 
Tue last volume (xxii.) of the Memoirs of the Royal Academy of 
Sciences of Turin contains an important contribution to Fossil 
Botany, entitled “ Matériaux pour servir 4 la Paléontologie du 
Terrain Tertiaire du Piémont. Premiere Partie: Végétaux.” By 
M. Eugene Sismonda. The descriptions, and especially the nume- 
rous figures, of these Tertiary plants must possess the highest 
interest for botanists generally, and must be of great utility to 
those who make fossil floras their especial study. M. Sismonda 
has been able to distinguish in the plant-bearing deposits of Pied- 
mont five different floras: namely, (1) Eocene, (2) Lower Miocene, 
(3) Middle Miocene, (4) Upper Miocene, and (5) Pliocene. 
The Eocene flora is chiefly characterized in Italy by Fucoids, 
the species bemg but three in number: Chondrites Targionii, C. 
furcatus, and C. arbuscula. This poverty is not surprising when 
it is considered that the animal-remains of the same period are not 
at all abundant. The Lower Miocene deposits are very rich in 
plant-remains, and some of them include considerable beds of lig- 
nite. They belong to two classes: namely, (1) the lacustrine and 
lignitiferous beds ; and (2) the litoral marine deposits, almost barren 
of lignite. The distribution of these two classes enables one to 
trace the Italian shore of the sea of the Older Miocene Period. 
Some discussion has arisen regarding the division of the Tertiary 
epoch to which these beds properly belong; but, as with all such 
discussions, no satisfactory termination seems possible; M. Sismonda 
has therefore done wisely, we think, in considering the two terms 
(Upper Nummulitic and Lower Miocene) as synonymous. The 
Middle Miocene deposits are the most rich in plant-remains of any 
in Italy ; but they contain no beds of lignite. Their most cele- 
brated locality is the Superga, near Turin, where no less than fifty 
species have been discovered. The deposit at Sarzanello appears to 
be slightly younger than that of the Superga. The Upper Miocene 
deposits are likewise rich in species, sixty-six being described by the 
authors. The Pliocene flora is very poor. 
The interest of a critical comparison between the plants of these 
Miocene deposits and those of the same age found on the other side 
of the Alps would be very great, and would go far towards either 
proving or disproving the theory of the recent elevation of that 
range of mountains. 
A new series of the ‘Boston Journal of Natural History’ has 
recently been commenced under the title of “ Memoirs read before 
the Boston Society of Natural History,’ and in the first volume 
is an elaborate paper by Dr. A. 8. Packard, jun., on the Glacial 
