To Dr Henry Woodward of the British Museum I am indebted for the loan of the woodblocks made use of in figs. 10, 47, 60, 66, and 101, and to Messrs Macmillan for the process-block of fig. 25.

For the photographs reproduced in figs. 15, 34, 68, 102 and 103 I owe an acknowledgment to Mr Edwin Wilson of Cambridge, and to my friend Mr C. A. Barber for the micro-photograph made use of in fig. 40.

In conclusion I wish more particularly to thank my wife, who has drawn by far the greater number of the illustrations, and has in many other ways assisted me in the preparation of this Volume.

In Volume II the Systematic treatment of Plants will be concluded, and the last chapters will be devoted to such subjects as geological floras, plants as rock-builders, fossil plants and evolution, and other general questions connected with Palaeobotany.

A. C. SEWARD.

Botanical Laboratory, Cambridge.
March, 1898.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

———————

[PART I. GENERAL.]

[CHAPTER I.]

HISTORICAL SKETCH. Pp. 1–11.

Fossil plants and the Flood. Sternberg and Brongniart. The internal structure of fossil plants. English Palaeobotanists. Difficulties of identification.

[CHAPTER II.]

RELATION OF PALAEOBOTANY TO BOTANY AND GEOLOGY. Pp. 12–21.

Neglect of fossils by Botanists. Fossil plants and distribution. Fossil plants and climate. Fossil plants and phylogeny.

[CHAPTER III.]

GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. Pp. 22–53.

Rock-building. Calcareous rocks. Geological sections. Inversion of strata. Table of Strata:
[I. Archaean], 34–36. [II. Cambrian], 36–37. [III. Ordovician], 37–38. [IV. Silurian], 38. [V. Devonian], 39. [VI. Carboniferous], 39–45. [VII. Permian], 45–47. [VIII. Trias.], 47–48. [IX. Jurassic], 48–49. [X. Cretaceous], 50–51. [XI. Tertiary], 51–53. [Geological Evolution].

[CHAPTER IV.]

THE PRESERVATION OF PLANTS AS FOSSILS. Pp. 54–92.

Old surface-soils. Fossil wood. Conditions of fossilisation. Drifting of trees. Meaning of the term ‘Fossil.’ Incrustations. Casts of trees. Fossil casts. Plants and coal. Fossils in half-relief. Petrified trees. Petrified wood. Preservation of tissues. Coal-balls. Fossil nuclei. Fossil plants in volcanic ash. Conditions of preservation.

[CHAPTER V.]

DIFFICULTIES AND SOURCES OF ERROR IN THE DETERMINATION OF FOSSIL PLANTS. Pp. 93–109.

External resemblance. Venation characters. Decorticated stems. Imperfect casts. Mineral deposits simulating plants. Traces of wood-borers in petrified tissue. Photography and illustration.

[CHAPTER VI.]

NOMENCLATURE. Pp. 110–115.

Rules for nomenclature. The rule of priority. Terminology and convenience.

———————

[PART II. SYSTEMATIC.]

[CHAPTER VII.]

THALLOPHYTA. Pp. 116–228.

PAGE

I.

[PERIDINIALES]

117–118

II.

[COCCOSPHERES AND RHABDOSPHERES]

118–121

III.

[SCHIZOPHYTA]

121–138

A. [SCHIZOPHYCEAE] (Cyanophyceae)

122–132

[Girvanella] 124–126. [Borings in shells] 127–129. [Zonatrichites] 129–130.
B. [SCHIZOMYCETES] (Bacteria)

132–138

[Bacillus Permicus] 135–136. [B. Tieghemi and Micrococcus Guignardi] 136. [Fossil Bacteria] 137–138.

IV.

[ALGAE]

138–205

Scarcity of fossil algae. Fossils simulating Algae. Recognition of fossil algae. Algites &c.
A. [DIATOMACEAE]

150–156

Recent Diatoms. Fossil Diatoms. Bactryllium &c.
B. [CHLOROPHYCEAE]

156–178

a. [Siphoneae]

157–177

α. [Caulerpaceae]

157–159

β. [Codiaceae]

159–164

[Codium] 159–160. [Sphaerocodium] 160. [Penicillus] 161. [Ovulites] 161–164. [Halimeda] 164.
γ. [Dasycladaceae]

164–177

[Acetabularia] 165–166. [Acicularia] 166–169. [Cymopolia] 169–171. [Vermiporella] 172–173. [Sycidium] 173. [Diplopora] 174–175. [Gyroporella] 175. [Dactylopora, Palaeozoic and Mesozoic Siphoneae] 175–177.
b. [Confervoideae]

177–178

C. [INCERTAE SEDIS]

178–183

Boghead ‘Coal.’ [Reinschia] 180–181. [Pila] 181–182.
D. [RHODOPHYCEAE]

183–190

[Corallinaceae]

183–190

[Lithothamnion] 185–189. [Solenopora] 189–190.
E. [PHAEOPHYCEAE]

191–202

[Nematophycus]

192–202

[Pachytheca]

202–204

[Algites]

204–205

V.

[MYXOMYCETES] (MYCETOZOA)

205–206

[Myxomycetes Mangini] 206.

VI.

[FUNGI]

207–222

Ascomycetes. Basidiomycetes.
Pathology of fossil tissues. [Oochytrium Lepidodendri] 216–217. [Peronosporites antiquarius] 217–220. [Cladosporites bipartitus] 220. [Haplographites cateniger] 220. [Zygosporites] 220–221. [Polyporus vaporarius] 221.

VII.

[CHAROPHYTA]

222–228

[Chareae]

223–228

[Chara] 225–228. [C. Bleicheri] 226. [C. Knowltoni] 226–227. [C. Wrighti] 227.

[CHAPTER VIII.]

BRYOPHYTA. Pp. 229–241.

I.

[HEPATICAE]

230–236

[Marchantites] 233–235. [M. Sezannensis] 234–235.

II.

[MUSCI]

236–241

[Muscites] 238–241. [M. polytrichaceus] 239–240. Palaeozoic Mosses. [Muscites ferrugineus] 241.

[CHAPTER IX.]

PTERIDOPHYTA (VASCULAR CRYPTOGRAMS). Pp. 242–294.

I.

[EQUISETALES (Recent)]

244–254

[Equisetaceae]

244–254

[Equisetum] 246–254.

II.

[FOSSIL EQUISETALES]

254–294

A. [EQUISETITES]

257–281

[Equisetites Hemingwayi] 263–264. [E. spatulatus] 264–266. [E. zeaeformis] 266. [E. arenaceus] 268–269. [E. columnaris] 269–270. [E. Beani] 270–275. [E. lateralis] 275–279. [E. Burchardti] 279–280.
B. [PHYLLOTHECA]

281–291

[Phyllotheca deliquescens] 283–284. [P. Brongniarti] 286–287. [P. indica and P. australis] 287–289.
C. [SCHIZONEURA]

291–294

[S. gondwanensis] 292–293.

[CHAPTER X.]

EQUISETALES (continued). Pp. 295–388.

D. [CALAMITES]

295–383

I. [Historical sketch]

295–302

II. [Description of the anatomy of Calamites]

302–364

a. [Stems]

304–329

Arthropitys, Arthrodendron, and Calamodendron.
b. [Leaves]

329–342

α. [Calamocladus (Asterophyllites)] 332–336. [C. equisetiformis] 335–336.
β. [Annularia] 336–342. [A. stellata] 338–340. [A. sphenophylloides] 341–342.
c. [Roots]

342–349

d. [Cones]

349–365

[Calamostachys Binneyana] 351–355. [C. Casheana] 355–357. [Palaeostachya vera] 358–360. [Calamostachys, Palaeostachya and Macrostachya] 361–364.
III. [Pith-casts of Calamites]

365–380

[Calamitina] 367–374. [Calamites (Calamitina) Göpperti] 372–374. [Stylocalamites] 374–376. [C. (Stylocalamites) Suckowi] 374–376. [Eucalamites] 376–379. [C. (Eucalamites) cruciatus] 378–379.
IV. [Conclusion]

381–383

E. [ARCHAEOCALAMITES]

383–388

[A. scrobiculatus] 386–387.

[CHAPTER XI.]

SPHENOPHYLLALES. Pp. 389–414.

I.

[SPHENOPHYLLUM]

389–414

A. [The anatomy of Sphenophyllum]

392–406

a. [Stems]

392–398

[Sphenophyllum insigne and S. plurifoliatum] 397–398.
b. [Roots]

399

c. [Leaves]

399

d. [Cones]

401–406

[Sphenophyllostachys Dawsoni] 402–405. [S. Römeri] 405–406.
B. [Types of vegetative Branches of Sphenophyllum]

407–412

[Sphenophyllum emarginatum] 407–408. [S. trichomatosum] 408–409. [S. Thoni] 410–411. [S. speciosum] 411–412.
C. [Affinities, Range and Habit of Sphenophyllum]

412–414