“ 
CURRENT LITERATURE 
BOOK REVIEWS 
Studies in fossil botany 
Scort’s Studies in fossil botany has been the standard text in its field since 
1900. It is nota text on paleobotany in the ordinary sense, but is restricted to the 
vascular plants, and in presenting them deals especially with their ‘‘morpho- 
logical and evolutionary aspects.”” This means an expert culling of significant 
structures from the enormous mass of published paleobotanical imaterial, and it 
has been of immense service to those morphologists who wish to use the historical 
background. During the present decade this kind of paleobotany has not only 
made notable advance in the precision of its methods, but it has made some very 
remarkable discoveries. The rapid progress in knowledge has compelled a 
second edition of Scott’s Studies,! which has grown from a book of 533*pages 
to one of 683 pages, the illustrations having increased from 151 to 213. 
To note even all of the important changes would be impossible in a brief 
review, and this is not necessary for those morphologists who have followed the 
literature of the subject since 1900; but the assembling of the results recorded in 
scattered papers is very impressive. A few of the advances that should be borne 
in mind even by the general morphologist may be noted. 
The primary divisions of-pteridophytes are increased in number by the 
admission of NATHORS?T’s Pseudoborniales, discovered in the Upper Devonian 
of the arctic regions and described in 1902. ese remarkable forms are known 
as yet only from impressions, but the stems are articulated, branching, probably 
creeping, bearing whorls of repeatedly dichotomous leaves with deeply pinnatifid 
leaflets and long loose strobili (‘‘spikes”) with whorled sporophylls resembling 
reduced foliage leaves. 
The seedlike megasporangia of some of the paleozoic Lycopodiales, referred 
to briefly in the first edition, assume greater proportions in the second. The con- 
clusion is becoming irresistible that no definition of a seed can be constructed 
which will exclude the megasporangiate structures of these ancient lycopods, 
and yet it is evident that they should not belong to the Spermatophyta. The 
definition of a great group can no longer be based upon a single character, but 
must be based upon a plexus of characters. 
The presentation of paleozoic Filicales has been absolutely transformed. 
It is during the present decade that the “‘Pteridospermeae” have practically 
replaced the supposed paleozoic “‘ferns,” and the present volume can claim only 
«Scott, DuKINFIELD HENRY, Studies in fossil botany. Second edition. 8v0- 
pp. xxiv +683. figs. 213. London: Adam and Charles Black. 1909. 
gL 
