366 THE JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY. 



understand them, but from the very nature of the case this 

 must be so. They must all be studied in the light of recent 

 forms, which, in the case of wholly extinct groups, is a matter 

 of great difficulty. 



On the other hand, to the historical geologist who makes use 

 of fossils in unravelling the succession of geological events, the 

 correct biological identification is of the greatest importance, for 

 upon this rests his interpretation of the succession of faunas and 

 floras that have inhabited the globe. These principles are 

 tersely stated by Dr. C. A. White in one of his essays on "The 

 Relation of Biology to Geological Investigation."^ He says : 

 " If fossils were to be treated only as mere tokens of the 

 respective formations in which they are found, their biological 

 classification would be a matter of little consequence, but their 

 broad signification in historical geology, as well as in systematic 

 biology, renders it necessary that they should be classified as 

 nearly as possible in the same manner that living animals and 

 plants are classified." 



PRINCIPLES OF PALEOBOTANY. 



There are certain broad, fundamental principles upon which 

 the science of paleobotany rests. Some of these are so simple 

 as to be almost axiomatic, while others are less evident and have 

 only recently been recognized. It has been disregard of these 

 principles that, in the past, has often brought paleobotany into 

 disrepute. Each of the departments upon which geology calls 

 for aid has to acknowledge limitations, and so paleobotany has 

 bounds beyond which it can not be legitimately asked to go. But 

 it is confidently predicted that when the evidence has been 

 sifted, and the limitations, as well as the just claims, have been 

 properly adjusted, the evidence derived from fossil plants 

 will be as reliable as that supplied by other branches of 

 paleontology. 



One of the most important principles has been admirably 



' Ann. Rept. U. S. National Museum, 1892, p. 261. 



