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in the coal measures, but it is especially in the oolite and 
other mesozoic strata that it culminates, and then it dwindles 
away until the present epoch, when it still flourishes in about 
fifty species, distributed under seven genera. Such is the 
life history of a synthetic type, and it is no wonder that 
evolutionists say very little about it. 
10. Conelusion.—No fossil botanist had a profounder know- 
ledge of the vast Tertiary flora than Dr. Heer of Zurich. On 
such a subject as this I cannot close my paper better than 
with his striking remarks at the end of his fascinating book 
On the Primeval World of Switzerland :— 
“The deeper we penetrate into the knowledge of nature 
the more thorough becomes our conviction that only the 
belief in an Almighty and All-wise Creator, who has made 
heaven and earth after an eternally-predetermined plan, 
can solve the riddle of nature as well as those of human 
life.: 
Nore.—The author must state his obligations throughout the paper to 
Mr. Carruthers’ Presidential Address to the Geologists’ Association, as 
reported in the Geological Magazine, 1876, p. 560. 
Count Saporta’s attempt to weaken the argument from the carboniferous 
flora is hardly successful; indeed, his chapter on Evolution in his inter- 
esting book on ‘Fossil Plants is too obviously a rechauffé of an article in the 
Revue des Deux Mondes, and hardly does justice to the scientific eminence 
of that patient investigator of the Aix Cretaceous Flora. 
Tur Cuarrman (D. Howarp, Esq., F.I.C.)—We have to thank Mr. 
James for his most interesting paper, ,which is well worthy of our 
careful attention. (Applause.) It would appear, from the course of his 
varied remarks, that in dealing with the whole question of evolution 
it is, first of all, necessary that we should make up our minds as to 
what we mean by “evolution.” If we simply mean that there is in nature 
a plan of development, we must, I think, accept that as a self-evident 
truth. In point of fact, the word ‘‘evolution” is often used with the 
same vagueness that is characteristic of the way in which we employ the 
word “ affinity” in chemistry in order to express the tendency to combine, 
which is evidenced by two substances that are related as little as possible to 
