9ft M. De Candolle on Fossil Vegetables. 



so that this family, which now forms scarcely a thousandth 

 part of the existing vegetation, and which flourishes only near 

 the equator, at that period formed one-half of the European 

 vegetation. We also observe in the Flora of this epoch six 

 Coniferae, two Liliacese, and, as in all the preceding epochs, a 

 great number of ferns. 



Hence the proportion of the great classes is as under. 



CRYPTOGAHEiB. In 100 species. 



Amphigamese, (Algre) ...3.6 



jEtheogamese, (twenty-one of which are Ferns,) 23 . 45 



PhanerogamejE. 

 Monocotyledons, (Liliacese) ...2.4 

 Dicotyledons, (Cycadeae and Coniferae,) . 23 .45 



51 100 



The species of ferns found in this formation are very differ- 

 ent from those found in the other formations. 



Eighth Epoch — Chalk formation. — M. Brongniart combines 

 under this head the fossils of the chalk properly so called, and 

 greensand formation of the English geologists. 



The vegetables which were known in this formation in 1828, 

 were mai'ine plants to the number of seventeen, and one terres- 

 trial, (Cycadea^) from the lower chalk of Scania. The greater 

 part were found in the Isle of Aix near Rochelle, and in the 

 mountain of Voirons near Geneva, &c. 



We may presume, that the solitary terrestrial species which 

 has hitherto been discovered, grew as it were on the margin of 

 the two formations, or upon the margin of a vast ocean which at 

 that time covered a large portion of Europe. 



The seventeen marine species are made up of two confervae, 

 eleven Algae, four Naiadeae, (genus Zosterites). Hence, — 



CbyPTOGAME-E. In 100 species. 



Amphigamese, . . . . 13 .72 



iEtheogameae, .... 0.0 



Phanerogame^. 

 Monocotyledons, .... 4 .22 



Dicotyledons, ....1.6 



18 100 



