136 Beviervs — E. A. Newell Arher — The Glossopteris Flora. 



written by men who are not members of the Museum Staff. By 

 sanctioning the expenditure entailed in the production of these 

 catalogues the Ti'ustees have recognised the importance of the 

 palfeobotanical collections ; but it is to be regretted that this branch 

 of palfeobotany has not been placed under the care of an expert 

 assistant. This is not the place for an expression of opinion as to 

 the best method of dealing with fossil plants in a Natural History 

 Museum, but it is perhaps not unreasonable to suggest that the 

 subject of palfeobotany is worthy of recognition as an important 

 branch of Natural Science which should be under the charge of 

 a specialist competent to arrange, describe, and extend the collections 

 imder his care. 



Mr. Arber's Introduction may be described as the best account 

 which has so fsir been given of the botanical aiSnities and distribution 

 of the Glossopteris Flora. The widely scattered literature on the 

 Pei'mo-Carboniferous vegetation from South America, South Africa, 

 India, and Australia is summarised in a comprehensive Historical 

 Sketch. In the descriptive portion of the volume the author has 

 added considerably to the value of the work by including certain 

 types which are not represented in the Museum. Under the 

 Thallophyta are included the somewhat problematical fossils ascribed 

 by Bertrand and Renault to the Algai. Under the Equisetales the 

 genera Schizoneura and Phyllotheca are fully described so far as 

 the material permits, but in regard to the representatives of the 

 Equisetales, as in the case of nearly all the fossil plants from the 

 Glossopteris-bearing strata, there is a surprising dearth of material 

 which throws light on the nature of the reproductive organs or on 

 anatomical structure. 



In the section dealing with ferns Mr. Arber contributes a carefully 

 drawn up synopsis of the species of Glossopteris which cannot fail 

 to be of value to students of this flora. Everyone with any 

 knowledge of recent ferns admits the impossibility of attempting to 

 recognise true specific characters in the numerous forms of frond and 

 in the slight differences in venation characters ; but some system, 

 though an admittedly artificial one, is necessary as a working 

 scheme for descriptive and cataloguing purposes. The account of the 

 fructification of Glossopteris, based on the results of the author's 

 original observations, is particularly intex'esting ; supposed fertile 

 fronds of this genus have often been described, but we have now 

 for the first time a description of undoubted reproductive organs. 

 Among the Gymnosperms are included several genera of more or 

 less doubtful position, but it is refreshing to find one set of petrified 

 specimens — referred to Dadoxylon — exhibiting anatomical characters 

 in a good state of preservation. There is little doubt that the 

 long strap-like leaves which it has been customary to refer to 

 Noeggerathiopsis are generically identical with the European 

 Cordaites. Mr. Arber, though retaining the former name, admits 

 the close alliance of the northern and southern forms. 



A perusal of the bibliography at the end of the volume affords 

 some idea of the labour involved in monographing the Glossopteris 



