662 



EDWARD W. BERRY 



upper beds (No. 3) mark successive seasonal layers of valley filling 

 in the narrow valley of a small stream. This stream was apparently 

 always small, and the marvelous abundance of fossils at this one 

 point seems to be due to a bar or sinkhole or similar cache formed 

 near the junction of the two lateral branches which united near this 

 point to form the main stream. The determinable plants are 

 represented almost exclusively by fruits or seeds, as the leaves, with 

 the exception of the coriaceous oaks, which are abundant, were too 

 thoroughly decayed before they were buried to retain their identity. 



The study of such remains is beset with many difficulties. The 

 material has to be sorted without allowing it to dry. It then has 

 to be impregnated with paraffin simultaneous with drying. Finally, 

 identification is hampered by the lack of recent material for com- 

 parison, and when the material is identified the determination of the 

 exact range of the still existing species on which so much hinges 

 is a matter of great uncertainty in the present state of our knowledge 

 of plant geography. I am under obligations to, and take this oppor- 

 tunity of thanking, Mr. W. L. McAtee, of the Biological Survey, for 

 determining five species of fruits for me. 



The following plant species have been identified from the Vero 

 deposits: 



Pinus taeda Linne 



Pinus caribaea Morelet 



Pinus sp. 



Taxodium distichura (Linne) Rich. 



Carex sp. 



Pistia spathulata Michx. 



Seronoa serrulata (Michx.) Hooker 



Sabal palmetto (Walt.) R. & S. 



Myrica cerifera Linne 



Leitneria floridana Chapman ( ?) 



Quercus virginiana Mill. 



Quercus Laurifolia Michx. 



Quercus Chapmani Sargent ( ?) 



Quercus brevifolia (Lam.) Sargent 



Polygonum sp. 



Magnolia virginiana Linne 



Anona glabra Linne 



Brasenia purpurea (Michx.) Caspary 



Ilex glabra (Linne) A. Gray 



Acer rubrum Linne 



Zizyphus sp. (new species) 



Vitis cf. rotundifolia Michx. 



Vitis sp. 



Benzoin cf. melissaefolium (Walt.) 



Nees 

 Viburnum nudum Linne 

 Viburnum cf. dentatum Linne 

 Xanthium sp. 



The most abundant form in the preceding list is Quercus lauri- 

 folia, which is represented in the upper beds by leaves, cupules, and 

 acorns and in the lower beds by cupules and acorns. It is still 



