, 1879-04-19

md the "A7s or The L;gnit;e az i,ti;eated 1v jts
Geological D;stribmtion anu Eauna.n The con.
cluslon regarding tho age of these Ignite for
nations ts significant, as u haa bacn subIec. of
seems to be no alternative hut 10 acccrt lilo
conclusion that n - tertiary fora WIS cunso,np>.
Fancous with n crctacrous fauna, establishing an
uninterrupted succession Of lifc across what ia
Il t reeosea Il sss os g s FoTes III a..
eusslon aro descriptions Of i5a0 species uf fossil
nlnnts. Siicti characters Us tho fungi or liz,
1tyr arc of 80 doubtful identity when IN fossil
vnneh for their correct nan!ug:.
Some points un certain families are especially
Interesting: Concerning the Fungi, the nIti,or
snys: We cannot ,loubt Tic existence OF veg-
cpochs, when there was pro!aasou IL wnosiy
plants wtlercupon they could thrive rs parasites,
a. they do now upon organs oe tic same kind.
IL ts however. clear HAT tic Fungi of so[t cshy
especially upon wet grouud. mud which arc soon
tccoinposed after ucIr appnrIltOH. cattnot l,avo
left any existence In n ps,trffcd state. Their
former lilc Is revealed. however, by. tho fossil
mushrooms only. The cryptognmpus kinds:
whtcI, ycge.ate upon tic bark and tic leaves of
tFccs. an.t which sometimes persist ent, even
whe1l tile 'sood or Icavcs arc passing fntun state
be pscscrvcd bv foss[Ization, and which VIC may
expect to rtcoGni1e IN a few iostnncee.h
:. Conserving Tic F;tiees. he relnarks: "Tl,o
Fcrns .nrc, after the Lgeotkdiaeste, the oldest
vegetables In tic wDrfu. From the dcyoulaI,
where asrca,ly n number Of species OF peculiar
typos arc known, they beCorne moro md 1nure
numerous ntld predominant up to the cnd OF
the cnroouifcIots, for Ia this formation they
eosnposo at least ouehnlf Of the vcgcsa-
tton". -.
On the co,tjsre, lle following is Of interest:
The tonlfers (conchoarinE trccs) appear
already in the devonIan. wfcra remains Of
the churacsers y! their tntcrnal etructure II,
species Of this family. Fosstlized trunks OF
coulicrs have bcen also found IN the subcar-
bonltetonso ol Envland; But thc largest
trs)wherefrom s2s5 s2s5spuc1cs or more arc described
Ti.e most interesting Of his descriptions Of
Iam'!ics 70 that Oh tile Palms. or them ho
Whites rs f0llowB:
!n the geological times the palms appear in the
eEcsaceon* where!rom one or twn apccfcs havo
s,een aescfsbed In Eatopo They escome more pre-.
IL liz M hs sa5 psa5 % Eses
sologista have 1lhcovercd twenty species; and
stil more predominant IN the mlocunc. from which
lower divisions and from, tho Suuth Of Europe.
No remains Of pains hare bocn recognized iu tae
e not saS ssr L.. E.sGs sssss.a 'ss
fen fen H. s pas has 'sfn' III ss ses and ause sGes
ateh leaves In the lower llanllir cocenc. m1nrdi-
sey th1 TOP o. the esesassou; % sas
Racks. ~ iuck i}ntcs. and still moro At Golden,
wherc the eoccne tactes OF Gura Is marked, Ms In
mostly silietaed. and inns distinctly presenting to
tic nakcd eye the Wgll.knoWu chnractess or tho
w1 Of ss H. aan @ % ssSsS
leaves. .& In ;ac eoc enc aola Of tho Mississippi. %
mors' indestinn Il sssms "mai but ri cTsau. IL.
crease In Thu degree of temperature toward the
so W. hnxS o uated y9ses
near tho southern lfmies Of Nritlsh Anletlca. at
Hbunt 80 Iess. Of latitude north. and: still h!gh-
rarne latitude, where. ns seen aborc. tho limits OF
palms have been recognized In Europe at tho
.ntucehc cpoch. !. ID.
The closing effort Of Prof Lesqucroux is a
treatment OF "The agc Of The 1.ynttc losgna-
s!ous ns uetermlncd BY the characters Of fossil
plants.' In this discussion the author ably
carries hts point. relutlng ttc objection offered
by some to the determination Of the ago Of 1igutt
ic inrtnntions by fossil flora.
This work. Is 4unrto volume OF sornc 500
pages, 30 ui which cnntaiu the printed matter.
Ille rornalnlnE portion ot the book comprises
sixty-iyc stcct plates, representing tomc 800 fig
tion. CTertinry Flora. Ily prot. Leo Lesquc-
reu1, OF Columbus, U. Dcing Part II. Of Con-
trtbatons to the Fossil Flora Of tho Western
Territories, NH, Volume VII. Of the Quarto pub-
icatio,s u tho Unitet States theological Survey,
+. V. Huyden III charge. Washington. 1878.
Departmcnt OF tho Interior. iovern4ient
Prlnt.) W. II. Il.
TIIE MOUTH IN SHARKS.
Tic peculiar poettna OF tue mouth In tho
sar's an.l some OF their Hlllos used to be fre-
aucut theme OF comment among the naturaltsts
of tho old school. 1t was pointed out as noth-
Ing less taan special arrangement to euabta q
destined victim to escape, willis the shark was