LATER CRETACEOUS AND KAIXOZOIC. 



207 



of a woodland streamlet, and have found them stored with 

 the fallen leaves of trees, but it was in vain to search for 

 the leaves of herbaceous plants. 



The climate of North America and Europe, represented 

 by the Cenomanian vegetation, is not tropical but warm 

 temperate ; but the flora was more uniform than at pres- 

 ent, indicating a very equable climate and the possibility 

 of temperate genera existing within the Arctic circle, and 

 it would seem to have become warmer toward the close of 

 the period. 



The flora of the Cenomanian is separated in most 

 countries from that of the Senonian, or uppermost Cre- 

 taceous, by a marine formation holding few plants. This 

 depends on great movements of elevation and depression, 

 to which we must refer in the sequel. In a few regions, 

 however, as in the vicinity of the Peace River in Canada, 

 there are plant-bearing beds which serve to bridge over 

 the interval between the 

 Early Cenomanian and 

 the later Cretaceous.* 



To this interval also 

 would seem to belong 

 the Belly River series of 

 western Canada, which 

 contains important beds 

 of coal, but is closely as- 

 sociated with the marine 

 Fort Pierre Mcries. A 

 very curious herbaceous 



plant of this group, which I have named Brasenia an- 

 tiqua, occurs in the beds associated with one of the coals. 

 It is a close ally of the modern B. peltata, an aquatic 

 plant which occurs in British Columbia and in eastern 



Fio. 7*5. — Brasenia antiqua. Upper Cre- 

 taceous, South Saskatchewan River. 

 Natural size, a, A, Diagrams of vena- 

 tion, sliglitly enlarged. 



* See paper by the author in the " Transactions of the Koyal Society 

 of Canada," 1882. 



