320 Notes and Comments. 



rare above looo feet, and owing to climatic 

 influences tends to be replaced by 

 (C) the Birchwood association. Floristically these woods 

 are very similar to the Oakwoods, but the ecolo- 

 gical differences appear in the re-arrangement of 

 the dominant members of the two associations. 

 Judging from the remains of Scots pine in the 

 peat of the Pennines, this tree was doubtless a 

 constituent, but probably not an abundant one, of 

 the primitive Pennine birch forests. 

 Sharply marked off from the two previous series is the 



(ill.) BEECH AND ASH SERIES. 



These woods are found on calcareous soils such as marl, 

 chalk and limestone, where the lime content of the soil is high. 

 Here three associations are distinguished : — 

 {A) an Ash-Oakwood association ; (5) an Ash wood associa- 

 tion, and (C) a Beechwood association. (.4) and {B) are the 

 characteristic woodland types on all highly calcareous soils, 

 except those of the south-east of England, where the beech is 

 dominant on the chalk. The area of natural and semi-natural 

 beechwoods appears to have a western extension on the Inferior 

 Oolite of the Cotswold, but for the most part it does not extend 

 north-westwards of the chalk escarpment. 



In each of the associations of these series considerable lists 

 are given of the subordinate woody species, as well as the 

 characteristic species of the ground vegetation. We are glad 

 to note that the paper has been separately printed as a shilling 

 pamphlet. 



Mr. H. Brantvvood Maiife, formerly of Bradford, has been appointed 

 Director of the Geological Survey of Southern lihodesia. 



In the Geological Magazine for August, Mr. G. C. Crick describes two 

 rare cephalopods from the chalk of Lincolnshn-e. One, Pachydiscus 

 farmeryi, is from Boswell, near Louth ; the other, Heteroceras reussianiini, 

 is from North Ormsby. In the same publication Mr. T. Sheppard describes 

 a Burial Valley at North Sea Landing, Flamborough, which has been 

 exposed by a recent landslip. 



Birmingham is to have a Natural History Museum at last. It has 

 just been decided that the necessary accommodation shall be provided in 

 an extension of the Council House which is now being carried out. Several 

 important collections have already been presented to the city. It is 

 astonishing that this go-ahead city, with its University, Art Gallery, etc., 

 etc., should have been without a natural history museum so long. 



Naturalist, 



