440 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. II., No. 34. 



THE FOSSIL FLORA OF GREENLAND. 



Die fossile flora der polarldnder. Von Dr. Oswald 

 Heer. Vol. vii. Zurich, TFurs(er, 1883. 275 p., 

 62 pi. 4°. 



This volume contaius, 1°, the flora of the 

 upper cretaceous schists of Patoot ; 2°, the ter- 

 tiary flora of Greenland ; 3°, a short memoir 

 on insects' remains found^in connection with the 

 plants (cf. Science, i. 1095) ; 4°, general re- 

 marks on the affinities of the plants in relation to 

 their geological age and the climatic circum- 

 stances indicated by their characters ; 5°, a 

 memoir by Steenstrup on the geology- of the 

 localities where remains of plants and coal- 

 deposits have been found ; 6°, the marine 

 fauna, with descriptions of the species of in- 

 vertebrate animals found especially in connec- 

 tion with the plants of Patoot. 



This last locality represents the upper mem- 

 ber of the cretaceous of Greenland ; the lowest 

 being that of Kome, the middle that of Atane. 

 The flora of Patoot has a predominance of 

 conifers and ferns, no Cycadeae, and few 

 monocotyledons, about one-half of the plants 

 being dicotyledons. The table of distribution, 

 which represents the whole cretaceous flora of 

 Greenland, enumerates 335 species, — 88 for 

 Kome, 177 for Atane, and 118 for Patoot. 

 From the characters of the plants, the schists 

 of Kome are referable to the Neocomian. 

 Atane, whose flora is related to that of the 

 Dakota group of Kansas, represents the Ceno- 

 manian, while Patoot is apparently Senonian. 

 Most of its species are related to those of 

 Atane, only a few being identified with eocene 

 species from Sezanne and with some miocene 

 types. The plants of the tertiaries of Green- 

 land have been procured from twenty different 

 localities. Their description is also followed 

 by a table of distribution. Of the 282 species 

 enumerated, 33 are known from the tertiary 

 of North America, 10 of them from the Lar- 

 amie group. The greater number are identi- 

 fied with species found in the lower miocene 

 of Europe, the Aquitanian group, whose flora 

 is widel}^ represented in most of the states, 

 from Hungary to England and France, and 

 from Italy to North Germany. This tertiary 

 flora of Greenland has been predominant, and 

 has preserved its characters for manj- thou- 

 sands of j-ears ; for the lower strata, where 

 its remains have been found, are separated 

 from the upper, which have the same kinds of 

 plants, bj' thousands of feet of basaltic masses 

 the deposits of which haye been continuous for 

 long periods of time. 



In the general remarks considering the 



climatic conditions which have governed the 

 vegetation as indicated by the characters of 

 the flora, Heer says, that in 1808, from data 

 derived from the determination of 105 species 

 of plants, he had estimated the mean tem- 

 perature at 9° C. ; but now the tertiary- flora 

 of Greenland, known by a larger number of 

 plants of various types, — among them a palm, 

 species of Laurus, Magnolia, Diospyros, Sa- 

 pindus, Zizj'phus, etc., whose analogues are 

 now found in Virginia, the Carolinas, etc., — 

 indicates by its constituents a mean tempera- 

 ture of 10°" to 11°. 



The few moUusks and star-fishes, mostly 

 found at Patoot, have been determined hy the 

 French paleontologist, de Loriol. He con- 

 siders them to be related to some of those 

 described hy Meek from the Fox Hill group. 

 Steenstrup's memoir on the geology of the 

 localities where the plants have been found 

 is precise and detailed. It is illustrated bj' a 

 number of good sections. 



The work is accompanied hy a map of the 

 western coast of Greenland between 69° 15' 

 and 72° 30' north latitude. 



THE CHESAPEAKE OYSTER-BEDS. 



Report on the oyster-beds of the James River, Virginia 

 (etc.). Coast-survey report for 1881. Appen- 

 dix, no. 11. By Francis Winslow, U.S.N. 

 Washington, Government, 1882. 87 p., 22 pi., 

 3 maps. 4°. 



Among the various investigations of the U.S. 

 coast survey- since its organization, the bear- 

 ing of which is not confined to their geodetic, 

 topographic, or hydrographic relations, the 

 present publication is conspicuous. 



By direction of the late superintendent Pat- 

 terson in 1878, an investigation of the 0}-ster- 

 reefs or natural beds of the Chesapeake and 

 vicinity was entered upon bj' Lieut. Winslow 

 with the coast-survej'^ schooner Palinurus. 

 The intention was to determine the limits of the 

 beds, their hydrographic features, the nature 

 of the natural and artificial changes which thej' 

 undergo, and the present distribution of living 

 oysters upon them. It was proposed to thor- 

 oughly investigate a limited area, subsequent 

 extension of the work to all the Chesapeake 

 beds to be left for future decision. Under the 

 term ' Chesapeake ' we include here not only 

 the beds in the waters of the baj' specificallj^ 

 so called, but those in the extensions of salt 

 water from the bay into the various inlets, 

 arms, rivers, etc., adjacent to and continuous 

 with it. 



Originally the oyster beds or ' rocks,' as 



