28 



PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



following is a summary :— One of the most important localities 

 for the Eocene Flora of Great Britain, and perhaps of the 

 tertiary formation generally, is the Isle of Sheppey, in which 

 are found great numbers of fossil fruits and seeds. I feel sure 

 that we possess in them the key to a more precise determina- 

 tion of many of the genera and species of fossil plants which in 

 other localities are known only by their leaves. Amongst the 

 bneppey fossils are now and then found fragments of the basis of 

 the leaf of a palm, probably of Sabal major ; on one such fragment I 

 found the apothecia of a Spharia. Of the G>n„nosperw<c there were 

 found fruits and seeds of Sequoia Botoerbanku, also fragments of 

 twigs Ihe seeds of the Cupreasmea and Abietinea had lost their 

 wmg-hke expansions, which shows that the fruits and seeds were 

 carried some distance in water, consequently their delicate mem- 

 branous wings were injured and broken off by rubbing. There are, 

 therefore no perfect winged fruits and seeds to be found. In fact, 

 even the firmer wings of the Acer-fruit have been entirely lost, and 

 it is impossible to determine the species of the Acer-nucules which 

 remain. The appearance of the SalisburU, seeds is interesting; the V 

 are very remarkable for their sharp, prominent edge. The easily- 

 th To? Tr, 16 ^ 6 ^ n a *W w " h ™ not as yet been found fn 



o fn!it I ° ra °l G i ea ^' ltain - *"* is indicated °y a valve 

 lUS™ ' « •"' ° f Whlch leaves are not infrequently found at 

 Bournemouth, is represented by a berry. Of Mma, of which only 



lESrti S? 7 et b T f °, Und ' there are Seeds - <* AnumlmXl 

 kinds of fruit have been found. These have hitherto been mis- 

 taken for sinal er fruits of Nipadites. The many species of palms 



aTfo kfn t 1 n ' mt ; °^ he Sahal aud M '" tea *he leaves 



o t£ sLnni F? m ° * 7 " m 7i Cenic "' the ^mvaonest palm 

 ot the bheppey Flora, is nearly allied to E. mdanocoeca and 



wt he W/7 1C t aTe plaC0<1 m • / '"»''""'- might be united 

 t is vei-; il I' IT f Bom ff^: ** «* other 'hand, I think 



with ZVrtlVr /°T ° he ki " ,ls of oak frait * Respond 

 Bonn emonl T w ds /\ f , oa, i leave « which are to be met with at 



S e S P * wo of 1 1C Bournemouth species are also found 



iSrS' ai A T ° ne 1 ? f these ' Querc "° L "™ h ^ also in 

 tt /,„ whch^ ?T 1 "S^iF* **»** all the characters of 

 ^ '' 1 l llldl 1S fo " nd m the Miocene Flora. The aW.™ of 



frequfnay fblTS %tm ^ *"&* Bo «™^outh. Va< m is 



Shonnev Tin. T ; nn ;i u £-,',« ma - y stl11 be l° und 1U 



~ t the fossil „ f Bi,ro f ;i;::' ":;::;•' r hioh vt? 



have found amongst the ShciZv fr nit, ,oT i ' C " y '- W l" C '' * 

 &*««, the leaves of which 'L™ be" \ o t' on v f .i' ' T V"""" S 



mouth hut nlcn ii> *!*« a i : V on v iouj id in Bourne- 



mouth, but also id the Austrian feoeene (Sotzka, Hiring), where 



