1859. j DE ZIGNO JURASSIC PLOEA. 1 1 1 



In the memoir ' On the Flora of the Oolite,' of which I have been 

 speaking, I have passed in review the different localities of the globe 

 where vegetable remains have been found in Oolitic beds. In this 

 enumeration it will be seen that I cite the phytolitiferous deposits of 

 Scania, those of Richmond in America, as well as those of India and 

 of Australia. But these deposits still require detailed study as 

 regards their stratigraphical position and their paleontology before 

 they can be placed definitely in the Oolite ; and we also want posi- 

 tive and detailed information on the beds with Cycadaceae and Ferns 

 in South Africa, mentioned at the meeting of the British Association 

 in 1851 as discovered by Dr. II. N. Rubidge. 



It is well known how the deposits of Scania have been by turn 

 placed in the Lias by Brongniart,Hisinger, and Braun, in the Wealdcn 

 group by Mantell, and in the Oolite by Nilsson and Forehhammer. 

 I am inclined to think that in Scania there may be two phytolitiferous 

 beds, — the lower one containing plants of the Lias, the other con- 

 temporary with the lower Oolite group. As to the analogies which 

 may exist between one part of their flora and that of the Wealden 

 group, I have already pointed out the existence of these analogies 

 among the floras included between the Keuper and the Xeocomian 

 formation. (See the memoir above quoted. ) 



As regards the beds of Richmond in America, it seems that the 

 materials recently discovered would authorize us to exclude them 

 from the Oolite. 



I had begun to occupy myself in my ' Flora ' with the fossil plants 

 of Richmond, when, after the printing of the eighth sheet of the text, I 

 saw it announced in the ' Neues Jahrbuch ' of Leonhard andBronn, 

 that the specimens of plants found in this locality by Dr. Emmons, and 

 examined by Professor Heer, present the characters of a more ancient 

 flora, and that Sir Charles Lycll, after inspecting some specimens 

 brought by M. Jules Marcou, is inclined at present to place them as 

 low as the Trias. If these last observations arc confirmed, the 

 plants of Richmond would be naturally excluded from my ' Flora.' 



The Indian strata witli fossil plants, where species have been 

 found identical with those of Yorkshire*, may be placed, I think (if 

 not with certainty, at least with much probability, particularly after 

 the investigations of Messrs. Hislop and Hunter), in the lower group 

 of the Oolite. 



This would not be the ease with those of Australia, if the obser- 

 vations made in L847 by the Rev. Mr. Clarke were confirmed ; for 

 he mentions in these deposits the presence of the genera SigiUaria, 

 Lepidodendron, ami Stigmaria, which would settle the question. 



Hut I am not aware that the fads thus cited have been since veritied. 



On the contrary, no mention La made of these genera in the works 

 of Messrs. Morris ami M'Coy, in which we are presented with a 

 series of form > among which, together with local types analogous to 



those of India, there are speciee which recall the Jurassic flora of 



Scarborough. 



• See Mr. Bunbury'i Note in the appendix 



