I883-I884.] 283 



It, or something like it, has also been found in Mull, and seems 

 everywhere present among the Arctic floras described by Heer, 

 though referred to the genus Sequoia. 



There are at least two species of pines, both apparently 

 belonging to the section distinguished by its arrangement of 

 needles in pairs. There are several European and two Japanese 

 species to which the fossils are allied. There are also, a pine of 

 the Strobus section, a Tsuga or Abies, and probably a Larix 

 and a Taxus. The whole assemblage forms one of the most 

 important groups of fossil Coniferae ever obtained, and is second 

 only to that so ably described by Professor Goeppert from the 

 Amber Beds of Prussia. The group, unlike those of the English 

 Eocenes, appears to have been transported bodily to Japan and 

 Eastern Asia. 



Of the remainder of the Flora I can as yet say little. There 

 is only one fern, and that apparently a Gleichenia of an Arctic 

 fossil species. The only striking fruit is one referred to Magnolia 

 by Heer, but which I think may not improbably be but a 

 peculiar condition of fossilisation of a Gymnospermous cone with 

 thin scales and ripe seeds. The largest leaf is that of a water- 

 lily. Another fine and deeply notched leaf is assigned to 

 Quercus, and we have fruit and leaves of an arctic fossil Alnus. 

 Messrs. Tate and Holden record the occurrence of leaves from 

 Ballypalady referable to Eucalyptus, Hakea, Celastrus, and 

 Daphnogene. Mr Baily in his reports apparently ignores these 

 genera, and records Salix, Populus, Fagus, Andromeda, Vi- 

 burnum, Magnolia, M'Clintockia, Rhamnus, and Juglans in 

 their place. The whole are the merest guesses, and as such we 

 may leave them. 



I am sorry so little information can be given about the plants, 

 but where nothing definite can be stated, it would be no service 

 to science to add further lists of guesses. 



In conclusion, Mr. Gardner said — I think we may assume 

 that the old land on which this flora grew formed a part of the 

 Continent of Europasia as it existed in Eocene times, and further 

 that it formed or was not distant from its western coast line. 



