REVISION OF COMPTONIA 



491 



and down the western American coast or vice vcrxa. In all, we 

 have durint; the Miocene, forms which may he diviilcd u]) into 

 nine "^^ood species." 



With the refrigeration of Pliocene and Pleistocene climates 

 in temperate latitudes, and the i-esnltiiio- wlxilonle extinction 

 and redistrihution of -pccic^. we sec ('()m|>tonia c.xteiniinated 

 from all except American >nij. The siorv is apparently the 

 same for numerous other <icnera which are exclusively Ani«>rican 

 in the existing flora; the Mediterranean Sea in Europe and the 

 high altitudes of southern Asia apparently cuttini^ oil' their 

 retreat before the advancing ice sheet. 



Comptonia is a hardy shrul) at the present time and thrives in 

 almost any habitat, ]^ossil)ly as the result of its struggles with 

 severe conditicjns dtu-ing the (Uacial period. 



