1870.J Geology and Palaeontology. 407 



Mr. Whymper's collection contains, on the whole, 80 species of 

 plants from North Greenland ; 32 of these are new for this flora, 

 and 20 are quite new. The Miocene plants of North Greenland 

 have thereby reached the number of 137 species, and those of the 

 Arctic Miocene flora 194. Of these 137 species from Greenland, 

 46 agree with those of the Miocene of Europe. The systematic 

 position of a number of plants from North Greenland is as yet 

 uncertain ; but the number positively identified is so large, that it 

 enables us to give a sketch of its Miocene flora. Of the fossil plants 

 from Disco Island there are 14 species: of these, Aspidium Meyer i, 

 Sequoia CouttsicV, Platanus Guillelmse, and Magnolia Inglefieldi 

 are most widely distributed. The plane and the Sequoia are the 

 commonest trees ; to these may be added a Widdringtonia, a 

 Liquidambar, and a Magnolia with large evergreen leaves. Two 

 cones of this Magnolia having been obtained, they corroborate the 

 determination of this tree originally effected by means of the leaves 

 alone. 



A Bryandra, an Aralia, and a Paliurus probably constituted 

 the brushwood of the forest, whilst several species of ferns covered 

 the ground. The Phragmites and the Sparganium point to the 

 existence of a river or a lake. Of the 73 species from Atanekerdluk, 

 25 are new. Five of these are found in the Miocene flora of 

 Europe, viz. : — Poacites Mengeanus, Smilax grandifolia, Quereus 

 Laharpii, Corylus insignis, and Sassafras Ferretianum. The oaks 

 appear very frequently at Atanekerdluk. The southern limits 

 have been determined as follows : — Six species stop at the Baltic 

 coast ; ten occur in Switzerland ; seven in Austria ; four in France ; 

 seventeen in Italy ; six in Greece ; four are common to North 

 Greenland and Bovey Tracey in Devon. It is certainly very in- 

 teresting to find so many species extend to Italy and Greece. 

 Almost all these may be referred to the country situated between 

 these two extreme limits, and we thereby see that our knowledge 

 respecting the Miocene flora of Europe, at least the forest-plants, 

 is no longer so imperfect as heretofore. Dr. Heer's paper contains 

 descriptions of all the species collected, and is illustrated by eighteen 

 4to plates of the fruits and leaves determined. 



On Paleeocoryne, a genus of Tubularine Eydrozoa from the 

 Carboniferous Formation* — This new and remarkable little fossil, 

 representing the first of its class, is introduced to the Boyal Society 

 under the guarantees of Dr. P. Martin Duncan, F.E.S., &c, 

 Sec. Geol. Soc, and Henry M. Jenkins, F.G.S., Sec. Eoy. Agric. 

 Soc. It was obtained from the lower shales of the Carboniferous 

 limestone series of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire, which is very 

 fossiliferous in many places, and is also remarkable for the perfect 

 condition in which the organic remains found therein have been 



* l Phil. Trans.,' 1869, p. 693. 



