SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS OP FRANCE. 
45 
of Aestorrhytias {A. Perrini). He does not admit the existence 
of turtles in the muschelkalk, and refutes the opinion of Cuvier 
on this point, by stating that all the portions from which that 
illustrious naturalist had formed his conclusions, belong to spe- 
cies of Nothosaurus. 
8. On the Peaf formations of the eastern portion of the depart- 
ment of the Moselle J and especially of the environs of Biiche, by M. 
H. Ma^ndre. — This gentleman observed that the Sphagnum not 
only grew in the bottoms of rallies, but also on the mountains, 
wherever the sand was saturated with water; he contends that 
turf beds are not formed by stagnant waters accumulated in ral- 
lies, as they are likewise met with on hill sides of considerable 
inclination ; and that the reason why they are not any where 
found in the neighbourhood of Metz is, on account of the water 
being absorbed in the interlaminations of the oolite beds, and 
thence finding a water level, instead of rising again to the sur- 
face by imfiltration, as is the case in the Vosges Sandstone. 
M. H. Mandre remarked that the Sphagnum which grew on turf 
beds did not decay from putrefaction, and that it was only after 
a very considerable lapse of time that the roots became trans- 
formed into root-mould ; this, he observes, was the case with all 
mosses. 
M. Schimper remarked that the properties of Sphagnum were 
peculiar; the leaves are not composed, in his opinion of two 
sorts of cells, but of one only, and these are of much larger 
dimensions than other mosses, with transverse veins, and round- 
ed openings ; and it is in this latter peculiarity that he recog- 
nizes their peculiar efi'ect in the production of turf beds, for as 
several of these circular openings exist in one cell, they form a 
sort of sponge net-work when placed together, which is pecu- 
liarly absorbent of moisture; this capillary attraction in the 
Sphagnum aids the growth of Cyperacese and other plants which 
are peculiar to good turf, and continues through the whole length 
of the stem, so soon as its base is in contact with the water, by 
