Maryland Geological Suhvky 403 



the more complete remains from the other bank of the Potomac and 

 as the different specimens are split to a varying degree and one speci- 

 men is not split at all, it is quite obvious that the splitting is due entirely 

 to trituration before fossilization. 



Eecently the writer discovered abundant lignified cones associated 

 with these seeds near Widewater, Virginia, and these cones were found 

 in a number of instances to still contain some of their seeds which proved 

 to be identical in every respect with the seeds previously described from 

 the Patapsco formation. Having become familiar with the cones which 

 bore the pine seeds it was found that the single cone described by 

 Fontaine {loc. cit.), from Cecil County, Maryland, as identical with 

 Araucarites virginicus was in reality a pine cone identical in every 

 respect with the cones from near Widewater, Virginia. 



The seeds of Pinus vernonensis may be compared with those figured 

 by Seward,^ from the Wealden of Bernissart, Belgium, as Pinites, cf. 

 Solmsi. 



In the IsTational Museum collections a number of specimens of Wid- 

 dringtonites ramosus are labelled Pinus vernonensis in Professor Fon- 

 taine^s handwriting but there is no record in print of supposed foliage 

 of this species, although there is a possibility that some of the following 

 forms of Ahietites may have such a relationship. 



Occurrence. — Patapsco Formation", Mt. Vernon (seeds), near 

 Widewater (cones and seeds), Virginia; Federal Hill (Baltimore) (seed). 

 Ft. Foote, Prince George's County (seeds). Muddy Creek, Cecil County 

 (cone), near Wellhams, Anne Arundel County (seeds), Maryland. 



Collections.- — U. S. National Museum, Johns Hopkins University. 



Genus ABIETITES Hisinger 

 [Lethsea suecica, 1837, p. 110] 



Since its establishment by Hisinger in 1837 this genus has been 

 a convenient and perhaps useful repository for fossils whose real or 

 fancied affinities were thought to suggest the modern i^bieteiB. They 



^ Seward, La. Fl. Weal, de Bernissart, Mem, Musee Roy, d'Hist. Nat. de 

 Belgique, Ann^e 1900, p. 28, pi. iv, fig. 77. 



