241 



SUPPOSED CRETACEOUS FRUITS OF EUCALYPTUS. 



Let me reproduce the following important extract from U.S. Geological Survey, 

 xxvi, Newberry, " The Flora of the Amboy Clays," p. 46 : — 



" Dammara borealis Heer, PI. X, fig. 8. 



Dammara borealis Heer, Fl. Foss. Arct., Vol. VI, Abth. II, p. 54, 



PI. XXXVII, fig. 5. 



In his Flora Fossilis Arctica (loc. cit.) Professor Heer describes and figures the 

 scales of a cone of a conifer which very much resemble those of Damara australis, and 

 yet there are some reasons for doubting the accuracy of his reference. It may also be 

 said that the fruit scales which he calls Eucalyptus Geinitzi (ibid., p. 93, PI. x'.v, 

 fi^s. 4-9 ; PL xlvi, fig. 12d) are without doubt generically the same. They have very 

 little resemblance to any of the fruits of Eucalyptus, however, which are urn-like, with 

 a conical cover. On the contrary, the fruits figured by Heer under the name of 

 Eucalyptus are plainly scales, and are parts of an imbricated cone. I say this with 

 confidence, because it has happened that in the Amboy Clays we have found numbers 

 of them, sometimes associated together, often scattered and showing both faces. A 

 peculiarity of these scales is that they are striped longitudinally by clefts which are 

 filled with an amber-like substance. This structure is plainly seen in those figured by 

 Professor Heer on PL XLV. Similar scales are described in an article by Mr. David 

 White on the fossil plants from Gay Head. (American Journal of Science, 3d series, 

 Vol. xxxix, p. 98, PL ii, figs. 9, 10.) 



The considerations which have led me to doubt whether these cone scales are 

 those of Dammara are that we have found no Dammara-like leaves associated with 

 them, whereas in one locality in New Jersey they occur in great numbers mingled with 

 and sometimes apparently attached to the branchlets of an extremely delicate conifer 

 much like Heer's Juniperus macilenta (Fl. Foss. Arct., Vol. vi, Abth. ii, p. 47, PL 

 xxxv, figs. 10, 11), but the leaves are more appressed. Almost no other plant except 

 this conifer is found with the cone scales, and it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that 

 they belong together. Another reason for doubting whether these are the scales of a 

 species of Dammara is that in some of them traces of two seeds are apparently visible, 

 while in Dammara there is but one seed under each scale. 



On our plate (fig. 9) is a representation of Dammara microlepis Heer, taken from 

 his work, PL XL, fig. 5, and also (fig. 10) one of Eucalyptus Geinitzi Heer, from the same 

 volume, PL XLV, fig. 5, for purposes of comparison. 



PLATE X. 



Fig. 8. Dammara borealis Heer -Page 46 



„ 9. Dammara microlepis Heer (introduced for comparison) „ 47 



„ 10. Eucalyptus Geinitzi Heer (introduced for comparison) ... ,, 110 



