1082 
DE. HEEE ON THE FOSSIL ELOEA OE BOYET TEACET. 
Very pretty little leaves, only 9 millims. long, and nearly orbicular. They have simple 
teeth, which are, however, deep and acute. From the median nerve arise on each side 
four secondary nerves, of which the two lowest are very much approximated. Each of 
them runs in a zigzag line, and terminates in a tooth ; from the second spring tertiary 
nerves ; and all are united, forming elegant polygonal reticulations, that can he traced 
upwards to within the teeth (cf. tig. IkJc, where the leaf has been three times magnified). 
I saw several entire little leaves in an excellent state of preservation ; there have heen 
found besides several fragments of the leaves of this species in the white clay. 
The nervation indicates the genus Betula. Similar forms occur in the young leaves 
of PopuJus alba ; hut in these, five primary nerves spring from the base of the leaf; while 
the nerves of Betula are pinnated, but the first ones approach the base, as seen in the 
fossil leaf; the reticulation also is that oi Betula. A comparison of the different spe- 
cies of Betula leads us to Betula nana., Linn. The fossil leaves agree, indeed, in respect 
of dimensions, shape, dentation, and neiwation so entirely with those of the lining spe- 
cies, that no difierence can be found ; the petiole, however, is somewhat thicker than is 
generally the case with Betula nana. 
Betula nana, Linn., is a boreal plant, which is at home throughout the whole arctic 
zone ; it is found also here and there on the highland moors in Middle Europe, as, for 
instance, near Einsiedeln in Switzerland, and in the Jura. In the British islands it is 
found in Scotland only. 
5. Pixus SYLVESTEis, Linn. 
Dr. J. D. Hooker* speaks of a pine-cone which, according to the late Dr. Choker, 
was found in the upper layers of lignite. Dr. Hooker says that it so closely resembles 
that of a Scotch fir {Pinus sylvestris, Linn.), that it might be referred to this species. 
I have seen it in the collection of the Geological Society in London, and another speci- 
men in Dr. Choker’s collection at Bovey. I am of the same opinion as Dr. Hooker ; but 
these cones look much more modern than the plants of the lignite beds, and they are, I 
believe, from the diluvial formation of Bovey. * 
HI. Insects from Bovey. 
During my stay at Bovey I carefully searched for the remains of insects. I found 
indeed some traces, but they are but fragmentary, and there is only one fragment 
which can be determined. It is the partly destroyed elytron of a beetle, probably a 
Buprestites, and which I shall describe as Buprestites Falconeri (Plate LXVHI. fig. 21, 
magnified 21b). It was 8 millims. long and 3 millims. wide. The angle of the shoulder 
is somewhat rounded, and beneath it the elytron is somewhat curved inwards. It is 
remarkably sculptured ; with the aid of a lens we can perceive numerous round points, 
which are ranged in rows, and so close together that the whole elytron gets quite a 
sculptura alutacea. The species of Agrilus, Lampra, and Antliaxia present a similar 
sculpturing. 
* Quart. Joum. G-eol. Soe., Nov. 1855, p. 566. 
