OE OEETACEOUS PLANTS. 249 



And further, that if this conclusion should ultimately prove 

 incorrect and all of them prove to be other than algse, it is still 

 iiseful to retain the genus for the present, and wise to keep 

 it in the established position which is as good as any other 

 on a priori grounds, and has the advantage of being long 

 recognised. 



In his exhaustive monograph on the Algae of the Flysch 

 llothpletz (1896) proposes the generic name Phycopsin to 

 replace the old-established Chondrites. His objection to the 

 latter is very just, namely, that it suggests affinities which are 

 not proven. His own name, however, is not free from the same 

 objection. As he brings forward no new facts which throw 

 light on the affinity of the plant, by the code of nomenclature 

 the older name should be retained. According to my suggestion 

 regarding the names of doubtful species,' the name is printed in 

 gothic type *- 



The Elysch deposits which are so peculiarly rich in " Algas " 

 have been the subject of a monograph by Eothpletz (1896) to 

 which reference should be made. They will not be specially 

 treated in the present volume, and indeed most of them are 

 Tertiary, or doubtfully Cretaceous in age. 



CD{)Oiitrrtt«g 'Cavgioitu (Brongniart), Sternberg. 



1828. Fuc.oides Turgionii, Brongniart, Hist. V^g^t. Foss., p. 56, 



pi. iv, figs. 4-6. 

 1828. Fucoides Targio?iii, Brongniart, Prodrome, p. 20. 

 1835 (read 1828). Fucoides Targionii, Mautell, Trans. Geol. Soc. 



[2] vol. 3, p. 210. 



* In a paper in the Annals of Botany for October 1911, I brought 

 forward the arguments that form the fonndation of my suggestion — wbicli 

 is, that all fossil plants for which there is no good, scientific reason for 

 association "with given families and genera, and to which nevertheless 

 names indicative of such affinities have been given, should be printed 

 henceforth in Gothic character. This would instantly indicate the doubtful 

 nature of the fossil without altering and multiplying the nomenclature, 

 and would avoid the use of a trinomial system or any of the other more 

 cumbrous devices which have been suggested. It would also immediately 

 appeal to those not specially trained in palseobotany when looking through 

 lists of names, and set them on their guard against drawing unwarranted 

 conclusions. 



