HISTORY. Paleobotany. as a science, is prac tically a product of the nineteenth century. al though a number of writers on natural history, Agricola. Albertus Magnus. S[atthiolus. Gesner, and others, had long previously described petri fled wood in common with other fossils and min erals. Leaf impressions, however, do not appear to have been described previous to the publica tion of Johann Daniel Magor's Litbalogia Carl osa, sire de Animalibus et Plantis in Lapides Versis, at Jena, in 1664, and after that not again until Eduard Lhwyd published at London. in 1699, his Lgthophylacii Britannici leonogruphia. Probably the next succeeding work of importance in which fossil plant, are men tioned is Johann Jacob Schettchzer's Herbarium Dilarianani, the first edition of which was pub lished at Zurich in 1709. After this, until the end of the eighteenth century, many writers in natural history incidentally described or men tioned fossil plant remains, hut generally with exceedingly crude conceptions in regard to their nature, origin, or antiquity.
In ISOI Ernst Friedrich, Baron von Sehlo theim, issued his .1thandlung fiber die KrOuter A bdriieke in Schicferthon and Sandstcin der Ntcinkohlen-Farmation. in lioffs Magazine. at Leipzig, and in 1504. at Gotha, his Besehreibung inerku•iirdiger Krauter-Abdriicke and Pflanzen Versteinerungen, ein Bcitrag Flora der Far welt. With the advent of this latter work paleobotany, as a science, may be said to have had its birth, and from that time on it has made steady progress. During the years from 1520 to I535. Kaspar _Maria, Count von Sternberg, issued in a series of fascicles at Regensburg. Leipzig,
and Prague successively, his Fersuch einer geognostisch-botanisehen Darstcllung der Flora der Vancelt, and in 1828 Adolphe Theodore Brongniart published at Paris, his Prodrome dune histoirc des regetaux fossiles, etc. These two works are generally regarded as hawing placed the science upon a firm foundation, and its subsequent progress was rapid.
During the half century from 1830 to 1880 the science was developed under Goeppert. Unger. Ettingshausen, Saporta, and others, and the fossil floras of the Old World became comparatively well known. J. W. Dawson had been at work on the coal floras of British America as early as 1845: J. S. Newberry about 1850 on those of Ohio; and a few years later Leo Lesquereux be gan his researches, which ultimately embraced the Carboniferous floras of Pennsylvania. Illinois. Arkansas. and other States, and also the floras of the more recent formations of the Western lections were contributed by Newberry, and sub sequently both Le-querenx and Newberry under took the study of the material collected by the United States Geological and Geographical 'sur veys. The results of their re-earehe- app.:. red from time to time in time reports issued by the survey, and in the transaction- of learned socie ties. With the death of these two pioneer: in the subject, in 1559 and ls92, respectively, the hi, torical period of paleobotany in America may properly be said to have terminated. The -Alb ,cquent labor- of Ward, Knowlton, White. Rol lick, Penhallow. and other: belong to the period of present active work.