Geology and Mineralogy. 357 



thirty years ago he fairly wrote that, " The discovery that in the 

 Culm and Carbon fertile ferns were really abundant . . . brings 

 me to a further observation. Since groat numbers of sterile 

 fronds from these horizons known under the names of Neiirop- 

 teris, Aletliopteris, Odontopteris, Dictyopteris, etc., and thus far 

 held to be ferns, have never been found fertile despite the dili- 

 gent search of many investigators, such forms cannot be ferns 

 .... are N'lchtfame.'''' 



And specifically, quite five j^ears before Kidston's determina- 

 tion, it was stated in this Journal (June, 1901, pp. 433-4;^5) that 

 in view of the Marattiaceous form of the fertile frond of Cyca- 

 deoidea, " an extraordinary interest will henceforth attach itself 

 to tlie fructifications of the Calymmatothecan and Scolecop- 

 teran type, as well as to the possibility of accompanying Macro- 

 sporophylls." Indeed Crossotheca itself was mentioned in this 

 connection, and it was concluded probable that the dimorphism 

 of various paleozoic plants usuall}^ referred to the ferns, " is inti- 

 mately connected with forms of heterospory and the acquiring of 

 the seed habit. ..." Interpretation of evidence could scarcely 

 have gone further or been more obvious, and it should not be 

 necessary to lose sight of historical perspective while enforcing 

 the all-important lesson of the "futility of dogmatic assertions " 

 based on the outer form of ferns, or may one add, of Angio- 

 sperras. G. e. w. 



8. Canada, Department of Mines. — Recently received publi- 

 cations are noted in the following list : 



Geological Survey Branch. — Summary Report of the Geo- 

 logical Survey Branch for the Calendar year 1909. Pp. viii, 307. 

 No. 1120. 



A Geological Reconnaissance of the Region traversed by the 

 National Transcontinental Railway between Lake Nipigon and 

 Clay Lake, Ontario ; by VV. H. Collins. Pp. 67, with 2 plates 

 and one diagram. No. 1059. 



Memoir No. V. Geology of St. Bruno Mountain, Province of 

 Quebec ; by John A. Dkessee. Pp. 33 with 3 plates and 2 

 maps. No. 1077. 



A Reconnaissance across the Mackenzie Mountains on the 

 Pelly, Ross, and Gravel Rivers, Yukon, and North West Terri- 

 tories. By Joseph Keele. Pp. 54, with 19 plates and one map. 

 No. 1097. 



Memoir No. 3. Contributions to Canadian Palaeontology. 

 Volume III (quarto). Part V. — Palseoniscid Fishes from the 

 Albert Siiales of New Brunswick. By Lawrence M. Lambe. 

 Pp. 69, with 11 plates. No. 1109. See p. 354. 



Mines Branch. — Summary Report of the Mines Branch for 

 the Calendar year ending December 31, 1909. Pp. ix, 181, with 

 4 plates. No. 63. 



Annual Report of the Division of Mineral Resources and Sta- 

 tistics on the Mineral Production of Canada during the Calendar 

 years 1907 and 1908. John McLeish, Chief of the Division of 

 Mineral Resources and Statistics. Pp. 286. No. 58. 



