370 PEOCEEDIJSTGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [JlinO 4, 



This decision receives confirmation in the fact that the new species 

 found at Bovey are closely allied to well-known Continental forms 

 on this horizon. 



The most remarkable Bovey plant is Sequoia Oouttsice, Heer, a 

 new species of fossil Conifer. Since its discovery at Bovey, Professor 

 Heer has ascertained that it occurs also at Armissan, near Narbonne, 

 in France. 



The work at Bovey was performed, under the superintendence of 

 the author, by Mr. H. Keeping, of Preshwater in the Isle of Wight, 

 well known as an efficient and reliable fossil- collector. It is probably 

 unnecessary to add that he takes a lively interest in the problems 

 which it is hoped his labours may help to solve, and readily under- 

 stands the nature of the evidence required. In recognition of this, I 

 wrote to him as soon as the chronology of the Bovey beds was settled, 

 informing him that they were Lower Miocene, and probably on or 

 very near the horizon of the Hempstead series, with which I knew 

 him to be well acquainted. It may not be out of place to remark 

 here, that I had come to this last conclusion on the principle that 

 things which are contemporary with the same are contemporary 

 with one another, and not from the fact that Bovey and Hempstead 

 possessed any fossils in common. 



In acknowledging my letter, Mr. Keeping stated that he had 

 recently found Bovey fossils, especially Sequoia Couttsice, in the 

 Hempstead beds. I immediately wrote, requesting him to devote 

 some time, as soon as possible, to these beds on my account ; to send 

 me all the fossils he could find; to be very particular respecting 

 their situations in the deposit ; and directing him to " take his de- 

 parture" from the Black and White Bands of Professor E. Forbes*. 



In a few weeks he sent me a good series of fossil plants — seeds, 

 cones, leaves, and twigs; amongst them certainly /S^g^^^*'^ Couttsice and 

 Folliculites Kaltennordheimensis. Being fully aware, however, that my 

 opinion on such a point must necessarily be valueless, and believing 

 the discovery, if fully established, to be one of considerable interest, 

 I dispatched by far the greater number of the specimens to Professor 

 Heer, requesting him to prepare a short paper on the fossils, if he 

 thought the subject of sufficient importance, which I might present 

 to this Society. 



"Whilst waiting his reply, Mr. Keeping sent me, from, the same 

 beds, two fine portions of undoubted Palm-leaves, one of which I 

 had no doubt was Sabal major, IJng. ; the other, not so perfect, ap- 

 peared to be also a decided Sabal, but less identifiable specifically. 

 These were also forwarded to Professor Heer, from whom I have 

 just received the accompanying paper, which I beg to present to the 

 Society in his name, in the hope that some geologist may be induced 

 to take up the subject and thoroughly examine it. " How im- 

 portant," says Professor Heer, " it would be to examine this (the 

 Hempstead) flora as carefully as possible, and likewise that of the 

 Bembridge series, and the pipe- clay of Alum Bay, where I collected 

 last autumn a number of beautiful leaves ! These floras would give 

 * Tertiary Fluvio-marine Formation of the Isle of Wight, pp. 43, 44. 



