MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SUKVEY 259 



the number of valves into which the fruit was actually divided is un- 

 certain. They may have been three or four or five, and for that reason 

 the number is questioned in the description. 



The fruit resembles quite closely Phymatocoryon mackayi Muell., from 

 the auriferous drifts of Australia, described in the Report of the Geo- 

 logical Survey of Victoria for 1874, p. 11, pi. ii, which is however defi- 

 nitely 3-valved. The geological horizon of these drifts is considered 

 as Pliocene. 



In this connection it may be of interest to note that the fossil fruit 

 deposit of Brandon, Vt., described by Hitchcock (Commonwealth of 

 Massachusetts, House Document No. 39, 1S53, pp. 22-34:; Amer. Jour. 

 Sci., vol. XV, 1853, pp. 95-104) and by Lesquereux (Kept. Geology of 

 Vermont, vol. ii, 1861, pp. 712-718; Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. xxxii, 1861, 

 pp. 355-363) has been called by different authorities Eocene. Miocene, 

 Pleiocene and Pleistocene. 



The general appearance of our material is quite similar to that from 

 Brandon, being thoroughly lignitized, with the general form of the fruit 

 preserved. The internal structure has, however, been more or less de- 

 stroyed or altered and it has, therefore, not been possible to determine 

 satisfactorily the probable botanical affinities. 



The only otlier record with which I am familiar, of similar material 

 from the United States, is by Edmund Euffin (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. ii, 

 vol. is, 1850. pp. 127-129) describing a fossil nut from the Eocene marl 

 of Marlbourne. Va. 



None of the American species described or figured may be satisfac- 

 torily identified with our specimens. 



