118 
dominance of Palmacee Lauraceee, Magnoliacez, Cedrel- 
acez, Sapindacez, and arborescent Leguminose; in the 
presence of such genera as Engelhardtia, Ailanthus, Bau- 
hinia, Lygodium, and Chrysodium; and in the frequency 
of Cinnamomum, Persea, and species of Myricacez, 
Cesalpinez, and Mimosez we are introduced to a vegeta- 
tion which is certainly very different from that now 
existing in southern France, and the contrast would be 
complete were it not that these types are associated with 
genera still indigenous, such as Alnus, Betula, Carpinus, 
Ostrya, Populus, Salix, Ulmus, and Acer. ‘The tropical 
and sub-tropical types were eliminated during the Course 
of the Pliocene, and the other types became variously 
modified, as shown by a series of intermediate forms 
extending from the Aquitanian down to recent Pliocene. 
Another fact of interest is that the greater number of the 
European descendants of these ancient floras belong 
exclusively to the Mediterranean flora, while many occur 
only in isolated localities and seem to have but a slender 
hold upon theregion. The absence of certain species which 
form an integral part of the present flora lead to the belief 
that they appeared later than the period represented by the 
Aquitanian of Manosque. ‘Toward the mio-Pliocene a new 
alluvion containing vegetable forms was superposed on the 
preceding, and this was correlative with a partial ellimina- 
tion of species which Europe had possessed until then. 
Up toand including the Aquitanian there are no vestiges in 
southeastern France of any of the following types: Alnus 
glutinosa, Coryllus Avellana, Carpinus betula; the Robur, 
Toza and Infectoria sections of Quercus; Platanus, 
Liquidambar and Liriodendron; Ficus carica; ‘Tillia, 
Carya, and Pterocarya; Ilex aquilifolium, Acer Pseudo- 
platinus, A. platanoides, Sorbus torminalis. These came 
in at a later date and in most cases apparently from the 
north, appearing lower down in formations further to the 
north. In the Swiss Helvetian there is a Pterocarya 
which nothing distinguishes from a living species of the 
Caucasus, and a Liriodendron scarcely distinct from that 
of America. The Platanus aceroides seems to have fol- 
lowed the same course as the Tertiary tulip tree, both 
species growing together in mio-Pliocene times in the 
valley of the Rhone. The last part of the paper is taken 
up with a critical consideration of the southern European 
oaks based on a study of material from the mio-Pliocene 
beds of Italy and France, in which there are species of the 
following sections of the genus Quercus,—Cerris, Ilex, 
Toza, Robur, and Infectoria. The paper is accompanied 
by three lithographic plates and two figures in the text. 
THE BOTANICAL LANDSCAPE. 
BY J. W. CHICKERING, NATIONAL DEAF-MUTE COLLEGE, 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 
Ir there be among either the older or the younger 
botanists of our country any who, in these days, when so 
much attention is paid to laboratory work, microscopic 
investigation, discussion of the laws of nomenclature and 
other theoretical inquiries, still retain interest in field 
work, and are not afraid of being considered ‘‘ mere 
collectors,” I should like to suggest one direction in 
which there is still opportunity for observation and record. 
Distributive botany has always had its fair share of 
attention. We are familiar with the change in the vege- 
tation, as we go from the equator to the poles, or from 
sea level to the snow line on our loftier mountains. | Our 
SCIENCE. 
Vol. XXIII. No. 578 . 
catalogues present us with the percentage of change in 
the flora, as we pass from New England either west or 
south. But little has been said in either manuals or local 
catalogues about what might be called the botanical land- 
scape of different localities. By this is meant a recogni- 
tion of those species occurring so in mass as to give color 
and character to the whole landscape, even when seen 
from a Carriage ora railway train. 
Our ordinary idea of a local flora is the whole number 
of species detected by the careful and skilled botanist, in 
the narrow ravine, or underneath the dark shadows of 
over-hanging cliffs, or over-arching forests. But I wish 
now to suggest, especially to those who may edit future 
manuals or local catalogues, the desirability of noting those 
plants which thus form a conspicuous part of the landscape, 
and moreover of noting and recording the gradual change 
of species, as, for instance, among the Solidagus and Asters. 
in passing from one section to another. 
Asan example, I will give a few notes of such social 
and colonizing species as attracted attention during two or 
three summers in eastern Maine and Nova Scotia. Many 
of our sub-Alpine plants here descend from the mountains 
and take possession of the soil near the level of the sea. 
Notably is this the case with Aypetrum nigrum, covering the 
swamps, intermixed with Ledum latifolium, and Rhodo wen- 
dron rhodora, and in afew localities Rubus chamaemorns, the 
cloud-berry, sufficiently abundant to have its fruit brought 
to market, under the name of baked-apple, though, ac- 
cording to Mr. Kennan, much inferior in flavor and 
juiciness to the same species as found so abundantly on 
the Siberian steppes. 
Along the valley of the Cornwallis River, for miles on 
either side the railroad, are masses of Corema conradt, and 
allthrough eastern Maine Vaccinium vites-7daca is the most 
abundant, as it isthe most aromatic in flavor of all the 
cranberries. 
In eastern Nova Scotia a European species, Senecio 
jacobaeus, the ragwort, was noticed as replacing and exter- 
minating the native So/idagos, and likely to become a 
troublesome weed, if it holds on its westward way. 
In eastern Massachusetts are seen occasionally patches 
of Genista tinctoria, wonderfully brilliant on Salem hills, 
and less abundantly Galiwm verum. 
In some parts of western Massachusetts, Potentilla 
Jruticosa is similarly conspicuous, but a most pestilent in- 
vader, over-running and ruining hundreds of acres of good 
pasture land. 
Down in the Shenandoah Valley, in Viginia, the traveller’s 
attention is arrested by the great masses of Achiwm vulgare, 
known as blue thistle, not only diversifying the landscape 
with its cerulean hue, but supplying honey to millions of 
bees. ; 
Perhaps the most beautiful sight I ever beheld of this 
sort, was along the banks of the Carrabasset River, in 
Maine, where for four miles Zpzlobiwm angustifolium, one 
of the many plants known as fire-weed, covered the ground, 
reaching a height of three or four feet, and rising and fall- 
ing with every inequality of the surface, suggesting the 
idea of a fall of pink snow to that depth. 
That was on August 14, and on June 8 fire had de- 
vastated that section, lasting for some two weeks, apparently 
destroying all possibility of vitality remaining in any seeds. 
And yet less than two months after there was this profusion 
of inflorescence. 
Whence did that growth originate? Our driver said 
that it had never been very abundant in previous years, 
and that it began to start about three weeks after the fire. 
_ But it is of course the Asters and So/idagos, with a few 
other Compositae, that in the autumn give color to the 
landscape almost to the exclusion of all the other 
species. 
