Reviews — Recent Records of Meteorites. 475 



there is in the stems of the still living genera". But she does not 

 favour the Bennettiles solution, and suggests that the existence of 

 highly differentiated Angiosperms in the strata from -which the 

 typical Bennettites Gibsonianus and others were obtained adds to the 

 improbability of a Bennettitalian ancestry for the Angiosperms. 



As regards the climate of the Aptian period, the inference is drawn 

 that it was relatively cool with well-marked seasons, thus contrasting 

 with the more tropical climate of the preceding Wealden and 

 succeeding Gault and Upper Greensand. The inference is based on 

 the large number of Abietineae and the absence of Araucarinese 

 among the Conifers, and the well-marked annual rings in the wood 

 of the latter. 



The account of the Coniferous woods is prefaced by a useful 

 discussion of the histological characters which may be regarded as 

 supplying trustworthy data for systematic determinations ; and the 

 writer condemns the use of various minute details which prove to be 

 merely individual variations and to have no specific value. 



As regards the plants enumerated, the two Ferns are previously 

 described species of Weichselia and Tempskya ; an interesting restora- 

 tion of T. rossica is depicted, provided by Dr. Kidston and the late 

 Professor Gwynne-Vaughan, whose untimely death leaves a serious 

 gap in the ranks of woi'kers on plant anatomy. Cycadophyta are 

 represented by Bennettites, including a new species, B. Allchini ; 

 Cyeadeoidea, also with a new species from the classic locality for 

 C. Yatesii; a new genus Cohjmbetes, with a remarkable stem anatomy, 

 perhaps from the same locality ; and two doubtful specimens. The 

 Coniferales include a Sequoia, very near to the living S. gigantea ; 

 new species of Protopiceoxylon and Pityoxylon ; species of Pinostrobus 

 and Cedrostrobus ; new species of Cedroxylon and Cupressinoxylon, in 

 addition to the previously described Cwpr. vectense. Barber; new 

 species of Taxoxylon and Podocarpoxylon ; and a remarkable specimen 

 known only from a mass of secondary tissue, the position of which 

 is doubtful ; it is described, as Vectia hiccombensis . The five 

 dicotyledonous Angiosperms are founded on as many specimens, and 

 ■correspond to no previously known genera. Dr. Stopes is unable to 

 assign them to any existing family, but tentatively suggests that one, 

 Woburnia, may be a Dipterocarp. 



A. B. Bendle. 



II. — Meteorites. 



1. Victorian Meteorites. — In Memoir No. 6 of the National 

 Museum, Melbourne (pp. 66, with 5 plates, April, 1915), Mr. B. Henry 

 Walcott describes very fully the Victorian meteorites and adds some 

 notes on obsidianites. The meteorites comprise the three Cranbourne, 

 including the Yarra Yarra fragments, Beaconsfield, and Langwarrin 

 meteorites, which are shown to be probably remains of one fall, and 

 the Bendoc, Yarroweyah, and Kulnine meteorites. Their history 

 and characters are in each case discussed in detail. The best known 

 of them is the Cranbourne, of which No. 1, the largest, weighing 

 about 3*- tons, is in the Natural History Museum, London, and No. 2, 



