20 BRITISH EOCENE ELORA. 



cites Lamanonis, the woodcut of which has so frequently been introduced by Mantell in 

 his various works, may be from this stage. Eortunately, however, Henry Keeping, in 

 187G, came across several fine specimens of a Eeatker-palm at Hordwell, now iu the 

 Woodwardian Museum. I have since seen large ironstone concretions at Hordwell 

 traversed by similar leaves. 



§ 2. The Bembridge Elora.. — Nothing but some fruits of Characea;^ had been 

 noticed from these beds ; I have, however, seen branches of Conifers and seeds in the 

 Bembridge Marls, at Hempstead. J. A'Court Smith has recently collected an extensive 

 flora from Gurnet Bay, including, as he informs me, a large series of Dicotyledons, 

 Palms, &c. 



§ 3. The Hempstead Flora. — This flora was partially known to Lindley and 

 Hutton in 1833, who alluded to it in the preface to their work, as the " Upper Fresh- 

 water Formation." Nymphaea and Zosterites are the only fossils mentioned by them as 

 occurring in it. Edward Forbes in 1852^ separated and described the Hempstead Beds. 

 In 1856^ he again described them, and mentions Ty[)ha-like leaves, Taxites Parisiensis, 

 three species of Chara, and Folliculites thalictroides as occurring in them. In 1862* 

 a second species of Folliculites was added to the list. In 1 802 Heer'' described and 

 figured the then known Hempstead flora, ten species in all. In 1 863 Heer, in * The 

 Lignite Formation of Bovey-Tracey,' by Pengelly and himself, described four species 

 common to the two localities. 



Although the greater part of this flora is composed of seeds and mere fragments of 

 reed-like plants, beautiful leaves of Nelumbium and a small Ean-palm have been found. 



ERITISH EOCENE EEHNS. 



The objections to the determination of dicotyledonous leaves apply with considerably 

 less weight to those based upon Fern fronds. ¥/here these, however, are fragmentary 

 and no trace of fructification is present, there is still great uncertainty, for a number of 

 existing genera include species that have the most varied venation. It is fortunate that 

 many of the Ferns described in the present work have been determined either from very 

 numerous, or exceptionally well-preserved specimens. We therefore believe that, not- 

 withstanding the difficulties arising from the well-known tendency of certain Ferns to 



1 ' Mem. Geol. Survey, Isle of Wight,' 1862. 



2 'Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc.,' vol. ix. 



3 < Mem. Geol. Survey, Isle of Wight,' 1856, p. 44. 

 * Bristow, 'Mem. Geol. Surv., Isle of Wight,' 1862. 

 ^ ' Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc.,' vol. xviii, p. 369. 



