Paleobotany. 359 



9. Etudes sur la Flora Fossile de VArgonne (Albien- Ceno- 

 manieri) ; par P. Fliche. Extrait du Bull, de la Soc. des Sci. 

 de Nancy ; Nancy, 1896, 196 pp. and 17 pis. — This contribution 

 has been hitherto overlooked by American reviewers, although 

 of very considerable interest ; inasmuch as in it are described, in 

 addition to various other gymnosperms, three new species of 

 more or less perfectly conserved Cycadeoidean trunks, and two 

 of related ovulate cones referred to the new genus Amphibennet- 

 tites. The trunks are named Cycadeoidea Argonnensis, C. semi- 

 globosa, and C. Colleti, the latter being a curiously flattened out 

 armor only of a large trunk mainly composed of oxide of iron, 

 with much remaining carbonaceous material. These specimens 

 are all from the Albian, and therefore represent quite the young- 

 est typical Cycadeoidean florule so far reported. The seeds of 

 the cone Amphibennettites Menaulti are fully 1 centimeter in 

 length by 5 millimeters in diameter and the largest known in the 

 Cycadeoidese. This is a mature size, embryo outlines being- 

 present. Finely conserved ramental scales of one specimen 

 figured suggest that although very brittle these cycads might 

 reveal considerable microscopic structure if subjected to some 

 infiltration process permitting subsequent sectioning ; perhaps 

 they could be studied from smoothed, or smoothed and etched 

 surfaces, by means of Nathorst's collodium method, g. r. w. 



10. PaleobotanischeMitteilungen 1 und2 • von A. G. Nathorst. 

 Kungl. Svensk. Vetenskapsakad. Hand., Band 42, No. 5 ; Stock- 

 holm, 1907, 20 pp. and 3 plates. — (1) Pseudocycas eine neice 



Cycadophytengattung aus den Cenomanen Kreideablagerungen 

 Grbnlands. — A recent closer examination of certain Cycas-like 

 fronds collected by Professor Nathorst himself at Atanekerdluk 

 in 1883 showed that instead of a single midrib, there were two 

 with the stomata entirely limited to the nether intervening space. 

 After finding this condition in three of the supposed Gycas 

 species, a portion of the epidermis of the well-known Gycas 

 tSteenstrupi of the Copenhagen Museum was secured and found 

 to be in all likelihood a similar fourth species of the wholly new 

 genus thus clearly indicated, Pseudocycas. The reviewer has 

 seen all the original preparations, as well as Pseudocycas ( Gycas) 

 /Steenstrupi (Heer) Nathorst, and found there was no doubt of 

 the presence of the double midrib on that specimen. — As to the 

 accuracy of Heer's figure showing an accompanying cycas-like 

 megasporophyll we can only say it is not impossible that such a 

 structure was present, but think a long hairy scale-leaf may be the 

 true explanation. The view that the peculiar distribution of the 

 stomata in Pseudocycas, also observed in two Greenland conifers, 

 was likely due to the light and moisture conditions of the uni- 

 diurnal arctic year has much in its favor. (2) Pie Kuiikula der 

 Blatter von Piety ozamites Johnstrupn JSfath. — The structure and 

 distribution inferiorly of the stomata between the netted veins, 

 with absence of stomata on the superior surfaces, is decidedly 

 fern-like. — Every contribution to a knowledge of Piety ozamites 

 is of the highest intrinsic interest and value. g. r. w. 



