400 : REPORT—1885. 
completing my work this autumn on Conifere for the Paleontographical — 
Society to procure fresh specimens of the Pine Cones for which the 
Bracklesham beds are celebrated. Only the higher beds of the series 
near to Selsey were well exposed on both visits, whilst the cones are found 
lower down in the series towards the middle of the bay. A local collector 
has, however, promised to procure specimens when next the proper beds 
are uncovered. 
I was able to make a large collection of fossil shells while looking for 
plants, which, being from the highest beds, are less known, and: are 
interesting as illustrating the passage from the Bracklesham to the Barton 
Fauna, which is more gradual, I think, than is supposed. The surface of 
one of these beds is dotted over with fossil Posidonias, a marine mono- 
cotyledonous plant identical with the species now inhabiting the Mediter- 
ranean. It had not been previously recorded as a British fossil, though 
another species is abundant in the contemporary beds of the Calcaire 
grossier of the Paris basin. 
In our species the rhizomes radiate from a centre, whilst in the French — 
and other European fossil species they are long and branching. They — 
are found among beautiful Tellina shells, preserving, to a large extent, 
their banded colours. The only other fossil plant to record here is a 
Nipadites, which, unlike those of the Bournemouth beds, is large, — 
flattened, and oval. ! 
Reading Beds.—A considerable portion of the grant has been expended h 
in working these beds with, I am pleased to report, the happiest results. 
The flora is found in the Katesgrove pit, on the banks of the Kennet, 
immediately beneath the mottled clay. The matrix is a fine porcelainous ~ 
fuller’s earth interstratified with sand, and the beds seem very local. 
The limit of the pit being reached it is not probable that any part of the | 
beds will be exposed for long. re 
T have illustrated a beautiful specimen, one of several, of Anemia ; 
subcretacea, Sap., from these beds. This Fern is highly characteristic of 
the lower Eocenes in France, but had only previously been found in the 
middle Bagshot beds of Bournemouth in this country. I have also 
illustrated another Fern (?) from these beds, of which I have only as 
yet found a small fragment. The figures are therefore taken from 
specimens found many years ago by Professor Prestwich. Other 
valuable additions to the Reading Flora are some splendid specimens of a — 
Conifer, which I can see no ground for distinguishing from Taxodium 
heterophyllum of China. As these finds will be included in the Paleeonto- — 
graphical volume for the present year, I need only say regarding them 
that Tavodiwm has been hitherto regarded as an almost exclusively 
Miocene plant. Another interesting specimen from Reading is a pine 
leaf of two needles, about the size and substance of those of P. maritima, 
the first pine foliage, I believe, ever found in the English Eocene. One 
leaf bed is almost wholly made up of leaves of Platanus, and a bed above 
is fairly sprinkled with fruits of the same. Fruits are very abundant, 
and include four kinds of leguminous pods, and there are many flowers. 
The variety among the leaves is relatively smaller, but all are well marked, 
and I expect to identify them easily by help of the fruits and flowers. 
Asa result of this work the Reading Flora no longer appears so com- 
pletely distinct from that of Bournemouth. 
Woolwich Beds:—I regard these as thoroughly distinct in age from 
those of Reading. I have not found, in the course of two visits paid» 
