6 STUDIES IN FOSSIL BOTANY 



with those of the Carboniferous, are of the greatest 

 interest, for this is the earliest period from which land- 

 plants have come down to us in any abundance. It is 

 very remarkable that in these early days we find not 

 only well-characterised Vascular Cryptogams of various 

 groups, but also highly organised Seed-plants, though 

 not belonging to any family now living. There are 

 probably no biologists left now who oppose in toto the 

 doctrine of evolution, but if there were, they might draw 

 a telling though fallacious argument from the high 

 organisation of the Devonian flora. As regards the 

 Silurian, there is little to say. Most remains from it 

 are very doubtful, though there are one or two remark- 

 able and well-preserved specimens, which have been 

 shown on good evidence to belong to the Algae, while 

 there is some evidence that even at this early period 

 Vascular plants had already appeared. 



To us, in these studies, the older formations will be 

 the most interesting, for it is from them that we may 

 expect to fill up gaps among the main groups of the 

 natural system, and it is only with main groups that 

 the limits of the book will allow us to deal. Also, I 

 think that the investigation of the earlier formations 

 (the Palaeozoic and the Lower Mesozoic) has really been 

 more fertile in results, up to the present time, than that 

 of the later deposits, though no doubt from them also 

 we may expect brilliant revelations in the future. The 

 centre of gravity of our work will lie in the Carboniferous 

 formation. The wealth of material which has come 

 down to us from this period is marvellous, as every one 

 knows. It is true, however, that the Coal-flora, rich as 

 it is, is a very special one, although it extended with 



