GYMNOSPERMyE. 31 



No trace of the fruit has been met with at Bournemouth, the branchlets to which the 

 cones were attached having probably been floated farther out towards the sea. In their 

 absence there is obviously no absolutely certain evidence as to the genus to which the 

 foliage belongs, but the very great likeness it bears, not only to fossil foliage positively 

 known to belong to Gli/ptostrobus, but to that of the existing species, renders it in a 

 high degree improbable that the determination is incorrect. 



The Bournemouth specimens are the oldest Eocene representatives of the genus, and 

 most nearly resemble the form described by Ettingshausen as G. bilinicus from Bilin, a 

 form subsequently incorporated by Heer in his species, G. TJageri. Its discovery is 

 interesting as it unites to some extent the species with decidedly polymorphic foliage 

 {G. TJngeri) with the true G. europceus, in which the foliage is described as wholly 

 imbricated. Foliage from a large number of localities has been ascribed to G. europceus, 

 often apparently on a superficial comparison. Some imbricated foliage from the newest 

 stage of the American Lignitic has been referred by Lesquereux to this genus. 



Its remains are very abundant in the " Lygodium-and-Laurel-beds " at Bournemouth, 

 whence a considerable branch (PI. IV, fig. 1) has been obtained. It is also not unfrequent 

 in the " Willow-bed," where it seems to put on a freer and less imbricated character 

 (PI. Ill, figs. 1 — 9). I have never yet met with it in any of the series of Leaf-beds at 

 Bournemouth east of this point, nor in any other British Eocene formation. 



The frequently branching character of the specimens enables this species to be 

 distinguished easily from the other Coniferse at Bournemouth. 



The existing Taxodium {Gli/ptostrobus) heterophyllum is a small tree with an erect 

 stem, growing from eight to ten feet high, confined to parts of China, and inhabiting 

 preferably places liable to inundation or the banks of rivers. It has leaves of various 

 forms, and is almost evergreen. 



Taxodium eocenum, sp. nov. Plate VII, figs. 1 — 8. 



Middle Bagshot, Bournemouth. 



The foliage is usually minute, somewhat scale-like, but occasionally approaches a 

 distichous arrangement. As in the last form, the expanded leaflets seem confined to young 

 plants or shoots, and they are very slender, linear, and taper to an acute point. The more 

 abundant foliage is imbricated spirally, the leaflets long and decurrent for some distance, 

 and terminating in a more or less ovate and acute point. The branchlets were shed 

 either in dense tufts, twelve to fourteen inches in length, or singly. The tufted branchlets 

 probably formed the apex of the branches, and the simple branchlets, which reach 

 seven or eight inches in length, were shed from the more woody regions. The immature 

 fruits figured (PI. VII, fig. 6) have the appearance of berries covered with small scales 

 and closely resemble some preserved in the Kew Herbarium from New Orleans. The 



