22 L. Lesquereux on the Coal Formations of the United States. 
ral Science of Fee 2 (June, 1860,) a paper containing de- 
scriptions. and figures of some species of Sigillaria and Lepido- 
dendron. 
If in addition to these loca] papers scattered in periodical 
works I mention a catalogue of fossil plants published by the 
writer for the Scientific Society of Pottsville, Penn., I think that 
we have here the whole amount of contributions to the fossil flora 
of our coal measures of America. 
The larger number of books on fossil plants have been pub- 
lished in Germany and mostly in the German language. In the 
beginning of this century, Schlotheim published his Flora der 
Vorwelt, with fourteen plates.* Since then science has made such 
progress that, with the exception of the figures which have been 
copied by subsequent authors, this work, very remarkable in- 
deed at the time of its publication, is sented of any value to the 
student. From 1821 to 1838 Count Sternberg labored and gave 
to the scientific world a Versuch einer geognostich botanischen Dars- 
tellung der Flora des Vorwelt+ in two folio volumes. This work 
contains a great number of good figures of fossil plants which 
cannot be found elsewhere, and is indeed very valuable for the 
_ great on of information that it contains. © It bears the mark 
of its early origin, and traces of uncertainty by a close and ex- 
cellent bietbe who had to find his s path in a new field, and give 
an account of things that had never been seen before and that 
have no relation to what we have now on hand for a sete mats 
in the vegetation of our world. Sternberg’s Versuch w 
with great labor and expense, and with the assistance Mins two of 
the best German Palzontologists: Corda, who prepared sketches 
for ae phytotomy of the fossil and recent plants;t and 
Presl, who elaborated the greater part of the second yolume of 
the book. 
Corda, who has been just mentioned in connection with Stern- 
berg, published afterwards his observations in a separate work, 
Beitrage zur flora des Vorwelt.. This book is of great scientific 
interest for the study of the anatomical structure of the wood of 
some species of fossil trees. few of the conclusions of the 
celebrated German author concerning the affinity of stems of the 
coal with plants of our time are indeed subjected to pb 
but his work in patience and detail of execution is truly a 
rable. It is still the best guide to consult for those who have 
opportunity to study the anatomical fossil botany from ground 
and polished lamelle of silicified wood 
* I mention only the most interesting of ond _—_ published. in Europe on the 
fossil botany of the coal, and especially those can be purchased. 
+ There is a translation of this work in Tie 
Be Tr zur Vergleichenden Phitotemie vor und jetztwettlichen Pflanzen 
tdmm 
