634 



NA TURE 



[October 24, 1901 



periods, the Cretaceous floras being reserved for a second 

 part. The numerous scattered references to the Mesozoic 

 botany of the United States, and the conflicting opinions 

 that have been expressed as to the geological age of the 

 plant-bearing beds, enable us to thoroughly appreciate 

 the value of a comprehensive report compiled by one who 

 possesses a wide knowledge of palajobotanical literature. 

 It is, however, not solely with published facts that the 

 volume is concerned, for a large portion of it is devoted 

 to a systematic account of recently discovered species. 

 The Triassic floras are represented by fossils from the 

 Connecticut \'alley, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia 

 and other regions, while plants of Jurassic age are 

 described from California, Oregon and Wyoming. One 

 of the chief desiderata from the point of view of paUeo- 

 botanical research is a careful and critical examination of 

 the records of ancient floras, which may be of use in the 

 consideration of the broad problems connected with plant 

 evolution and distribution. In the treatment of work of 

 this kind it is essential to carefully weed out such material 

 as cannot be determined with sufficient accuracy to 

 furnish trustworthy evidence. This obvious reflection is 

 suggested by a perusal of the numerous determinations 

 and descriptions contained in the volume before us. It 

 is unfortunate that the plants from the Jurassic strata of 

 California (the Oroville flora) are in most cases repre- 

 sented by fragmentary samples, and in several instances 

 these have been referred to genera and species on 

 evidence which cannot be accepted as satisfactory. 

 Systematic work on fossil plants has too frequently been 

 marred by a want of self-control on the part of authors 

 who appear to be led away by a desire to attach names 

 to specimens that are absolutely valueless as botanical 

 records ; we are compelled to add that the utility of the 

 descriptive portions of this work is seriously impaired 

 through lack of courage to discard worthless material. 

 More than eighty specimens of cycadean stems are recorded 

 from the Freezeout Hills of Wyoming — probably of 

 Jurassic age. These stems are referred by Prof. Ward to 

 a new genus, Cycaiiclla, which is described as being 

 characterised by the relatively small size of the trunks 

 and by a dense covering of raniental tissue " exuberantly 

 developed from the leaf-bases and extruded from the 

 armour, massed and matted in the fossil state so as to 

 form a thick outer covering." The exceptional develop- 

 ment of the ramental scales suggests a comparison with 

 the abundance of woolly hairs on the carpophylls of the 

 recent cycadean genus Dioon, and constitutes an interest- 

 ing feature which may serve as an inde.x of climatal 

 conditions. 



The characters on which the cycadean stems are 

 referred to distinct species are hardly such as to deserve 

 specific recognition, and in looking over the numerous 

 plates devoted to the specimens, one fails to appreciate 

 the advantages gained by the reproduction of more than 

 a hundred photographs, in most cases e.xhibiting only 

 surface features which are often indistinctly shown and 

 give little or no information of botanical value. Prof. 

 Ward admits that the characters made use of in his 

 classification are not the most satisfactory for diagnostic 

 purposes, but we would urge that in the absence of more 

 uselul characteristics, such as might be obtained from an 

 examination of the anatomy of the petrified stems, the 

 application of specific names serves no useful purpose, 

 but rather tends to confusion. Little information is given 

 in regard to the reproductive organs ; these are described 

 as being less numerous than in other fossil cycads, but 

 they appear to agree in position and in form with those 

 of the Bcniiittilcs type. 



There is no more striking feature of the Mesozoic 

 vegetation of the United States than the extraordinary 

 abundance of silicified cycadean stems, and no more 

 valuable contribution could be made to our knowledge of 

 extinct types than a comparative morphological account 



NO. 1669, VOL. 64] 



of the vegetative and reproductive organs of the American 

 fossil cycadales. A foretaste of what may be expected 

 has been supplied by Mr. Wieland, who has already 

 published some descriptions of the reproductive organs 

 of cycadean plants in the large collection at Xewhaven ; it 

 is an extension of this kind of work that is urgently needed 

 and for which there appears to be no lack of material. 



Some pieces of coniferous wood are described by 

 Mr. Knowlton and referred hy\\\m\.o Araticarioxylon '^ 

 p/isciirum, n.sp., but in this case also the data are insuffi- 

 cient to justify the adoption of a distinctive specific name. 



Apart from these criticisms as to the methods adopted 

 in the systematic part of the work, we can cordially 

 congratulate Prof. Ward on the completion of the first 

 part of a research which must be of great value to students 

 of pateobotany. .A. C. S. 



NOTES. 



We are glad to notice that the daily Press is endorsing what 

 we have for years been endeavouring to bring home to the 

 nation, viz. abetter appreciation of the advantages of science and 

 of .scientific training. A notable instance of this is to be found 

 in a leader in the Times of Monday last on the anniversary of 

 Trafalgar, in the course of which our contemporary, in speaking 

 of the recent naval disasters and breakdowns, says that these 

 mishaps " suggest, if they do not indicate, some failure of com- 

 petence, some lack of coordinating intelligence, among those 

 who are responsible for the structural perfection of our warships. 

 If this were so, it would tend to show that the national failing 

 of which we have seen too many evidences of late, of neglect of 

 scientific training, of the practical man's contempt for scientific 

 method, of self-satisfied contentment with the traditional, the 

 makeshift and the second best, is beginning to find its way into 

 the constructive and engineering departments of the Admiralty." 

 "We have heard much of late," remarks our contemporary, 

 "about the need for 'standardising' our machines. Let us 

 try if we cannot ' standardise ' our educational metht>ds and our 

 intellectual equipment generally — not, indeed, according to the 

 ' standards ' of the Education Department, but according to the 

 standard of the best that is known, and thought, and done in the 

 world. In the Navy of to-day," says \.\\e]Ti?iics, " there is zeal, 

 capacity, energy and devotion in all respects worthy of the 

 heroic past. The only thing that seems to be wanting is what 

 is wanting in the nation, belief in knowledge and faith in 

 applied intelligence." We trust that at this time, when we are 

 being outstripped in many directions by foreign rivals, and 

 commercial invasion has come to our very doors, and orders for 

 machinery, railway locomotives, &c. , are going in increasing 

 numbers to our more energetic and receptive kinsmen across the 

 sea, such words of warning as we have quoted will receive dive 

 attention and be acted upon ere it be too late. 



The question of fogs in London is at last, we are glad to see, 

 to receive attention. The General Purposes Committee of the 

 London County Council having had under consideration a letter 

 from the secretary of the Meteorological Office, stating that it 

 is proposed to hold an inquiry into the occurrence and distribu- 

 tion of fogs in the London district and their relation to other 

 atmospheric and local conditions, and asking for the co-opera- 

 tion of the Council in the conduct of the inquiry, propose "(l) 

 That a gentleman of suitable scientific qualifications be engaged 

 by the Meteorological Council for a limited period, to formulate 

 instructions and a scheme of observations, and to conduct the 

 investigation ; (2) that the observations be taken at the various- 

 Fire Brigade stations, and by men of the' Fire Brig.ide ; and 

 also, if it can be so arranged, at other institutions of the London 

 County Council ; (3) that the returns be sent from the various 

 stations, and from any other institutions selected, direct to the 



