1858.] BFNBUEY FOSSIL LEAVES, MADEIRA. 53 



form and character occur in company with leaves, and both have a 

 strong likeness to those of certain existing families, I do not dispute 

 that the affinities of the plant may very reasonably be inferred from 

 such data, even if the fruits and leaves be not found actually 

 attached to the same branch. Thus I do not doubt that many of 

 the fossil plants from the tertiary beds of Schossnitz in Silesia, 

 described by Professor Goeppert, and many of those from the ter- 

 tiaries of (Eningen, of Styria, and of Croatia, described by 

 Professors Braun, Unger, Heer, and others, are correctly identified. 

 My observations moreover are confined to Phanerogamous plants ; 

 in Perns, the organs of vegetation are certainly of higher systematic 

 importance. Still, on the whole, I cannot help expressing my 

 suspicion, that the fossil remains of plants generally admit of less 

 certain determination, and are of less value in a geological view, 

 than those of animals. I quite concur in the opinion well expressed 

 by the lamented Edward Forbes*, that " the vegetable unit in lists 

 of extinct beings is of far inferior value to the animal unit." 



Unfortunately, the vegetable remains hitherto collected from the 

 leaf-bed in Madeira consist solely of leaves, and those detached and 

 imperfect. I shall now proceed to enumerate such forms as I have 

 been able to distinguish among these leaves ; referring, whenever I 

 can, to the names given by Professor Heer, in his very able and 

 ingenious paper f on this deposit. 



I. Cetptogams. 



1. Pteris aquilina (Heer, No. 1. tab. 1-10). 



This is by far the most common Pern in the leaf-bed, and occurs 

 indeed in great abimdance, but always in very small fragments. 

 Its identity with the recent Pteris aquilina (a species very common 

 in Madeira) appears to me very probable. Several of the frag- 

 ments which I refer to this species appear very different from one 

 another, but corresponding examples may easily be found among the 

 various forms of Pteris aquilina. 



2. Woodwardia radicans (Heer, No. 3. tab. 1. fig. 12). 



Of this 1 have seen only a single leaflet or pinnule, well preserved 

 however, and showing very distinctly the venation, which agrees 

 accurately with that of Woodwardia radicans, a well-known native 

 of Madeira. The fossil is very probably identical with that recent 

 species, although the sharp marginal teeth are not so apparent. 



3. Davallia Canariensis (J. E. Smith) ? 



A small fragment only, and not very well preserved, but appear- 

 ing to me to correspond accurately with a portion of the beautiful 

 Hare's-foot Fern, Davallia Canariensis, one of the most common 

 ferns of Madeira. Not included in Heer's enimieration. 



4. Aspidium Lyellii (Heer, No. 7. tab. 1. fig. 15). 

 Apparently identical with Heer's plant. Our specimen wants the 



* Anniyersary Address to the Greol. See, February 1854, p. 70. 

 t " Ueber die fossilen Pflanzen von S. Jorge in Madeira ; von Dr. Osw<^ld 

 Heer." Read before the Society of Naturalists at Zuricli, 5th November, 185^. 



