480 .MISS T. L. PRANKERD ON THE STRUCTURE OF 
(ii.) Spores *.—Two very distinct types of spore occur in several seeds 
which perhaps belonged to two different species or genera of fungus. The 
smaller of the two, about 18 р in diameter, are covered with exceedingly 
fine hairs or spines (Pl. 22. fig. 5), and thus far recall the fossil spores 
described by Oliver (11), only that the latter are found in a definite 
fructification, while the former always occur singly. Considerable interest 
attaches to the second type, as in several cases they seem to be germinating. 
In diameter some reach as much as 30 д, and are smooth-walled, though 
sometimes a little crumpled. In some cases there is а single germinal tube 
(РІ. 24. fig. 31), though in others two are shown from opposite ends of the 
spore (PI. 22. fig. 7 and Р]. 24. fig. 26). This may mean that we have two 
different species present, or it may represent two stages in germination, or, 
again, two different methods in the same species, sinee we know how variable 
are recent fungi in this respect. One of the germinal tubes shown in fig. 26 
о 
(РІ. 24) has already branched twice. 
IV. Tug NIELD SPECIMEN. 
Among the several seeds ground down by Williamson was one belonging 
to Nield and deseribed as а Lagenostoma ovoides, which, though undoubtedly 
of that genus, does not seem to belong to the species Z. oroides. The 
configuration of the sections given in pl. 3. figs. 71-73 of the VIIIth 
Memoir (20) show that, as stated in the text, they are transverse, figs. 72 
and 73 being cut at the base of the lagenostome. The precise dimensions 
of the seed at this level can only be approximately determined from the 
preparation (Will. Coll. 1433), since most of the outer shell has disappeared, 
but the diameter could not have fallen far short of 4 mm. It was probably 
about 3:7 mm. ; and since the diameter of L. ovoides at the base of the 
lagenostome is about 2 mm., the dimensions of this seed are 85 9%, greater 
than, or roughly double, those of ours—a quantity far beyond the limits of 
individual variation (cf. p. 465). 
Further, though this point is of perhaps little significance by itself, the 
specimen shows decisively ten loculi (20, fig. 71), while no seed of our 
species that has come under my notice shows this number, and in only two 
certain cases (It. 29 and 1436 Will. Coll.) are there as many as nine 
ccf. р. 463). 
In the absence of the shell it is impossible to know if it were angled in 
the manner so characteristic for L. ovokles (ef. В. 27, В. 28, В. 53, etc., 
Pl. 28. fig. 16 and text-fig. 2), but the single fragment marked “A” in 
pl. 3. fig. 72 indicates that it was not so. Possibly the whole width of the 
* The term is of course used provisionally, though it does not seem possible to refer the 
bodies in question to any other category. 
