Geological Society of London. 107 
Strachey, Thomson, and J. D. Hooker. Sir Roderick Mur- 
chison has been the means of placing these fresh data at the 
disposal of M.d’Archiac. The result of these studies has 
been the confirmation of the complete independence of the 
nummulitic in regard to the Cretaceous formations. “In 
the province of Cutch, in Scinde, Beloochistan, the Punjaub, 
and along the slopes of the Himalaya,’’ remarks M. d’Ar- 
chiac, “the beds beneath the nummulitic limestones exhibit 
nowhere the characters of any stage whatsoever of the chalk, 
whilst, wherever the substratum has been recognized, it ex- 
hibits those of carbonaceous deposits with clays and sand- 
stones belonging to the lower tertiary formation, and resting 
either on Jurassic strata, or on more ancient rocks of which 
the age is yet unsettled.” 
Organic Remains. The enormous increase of palzon- 
tological observations may be measured by a comparison 
between the number of species recorded in the first edi- 
tion of Professor Morris’ Catalogue of British fossils, and 
the number mentioned in those portions of the new edi- 
tion that have gone through the press, and will shortly be 
published. 
The number of plants recorded in 1843 was 510; in 1853, 
652 are cited. The increase is chiefly among Mesozoic and 
Tertiary types. A great deal has been done to elucidate the 
structure and affinities of fossil plants in the interval, espe- 
‘cially by Dr Hooker, Mr Charles Bunbury, Prof. King, Mr 
Dawes, and Mr Binney, but not so much towards adding 
new names to our lists of species. In Fossil Botany, this 
course of proceeding is a sign of advance of knowledge. The 
most marked increase in number of recorded species is among 
the oolitic and Wealden beds. The late lamented Dr Man- 
tell did much of late years towards increasing the latter list. 
Were all the known fragments of distinct vegetables found 
in our tertiaries monographed and named in the manner of 
those I shall have presently to mention, described and 
figured in the lately published memoirs by Austrian botan- 
ists, our list would be considerably increased. They cer- 
tainly ought to be made the subject of a treatise, and might 
be advantageously taken up by the Paleontographical Society, 
