MR. J. S. GARDNER ON ALNUS RICHARDSONI. 419 
until I had dissected some cones which I happened to pick up in 
Kew Gardens. 
The cones measure from 12 to 35 millim. in length, and 
average 15 millim. in diameter; and are so seldom crushed in fos- 
silization, that their original form is almost perfectly preserved. 
In shape they are ovately cylindrical, obtusely ovate to subglo-. 
bose, and shortly stalked. The axis is cylindrical or subovate, 
with sunk lozenge-shaped scars with raised edges and a raised 
central umbo. The scales are in 8 rows, the rows consisting each 
of about 16, persistent to and at nearly right angles to the axis, 
thin, ligneous, hollowed out on the upper surface to receive the 
seed, grooved or striated longitudinally on both sides (Pl. XX XI. 
fig. 18), and with slightly thickened, recurved, and rugged or cre- 
nulated (P) apex (fig. 20,a). The seeds occur singly under each 
scale, and measure 5 millim. in length, 3 millim. in breadth, and 
about 24 millim. from face to face. They are grooved centrally on 
both faces, especially towards the base, the margins slightly winged, 
the surface striated, the apex pointed, and the base truncated. 
They bear a strong superficial resemblance to cones of Alnus 
glutinosa, and have many points of structure in common. They 
are equally variable in form and size (figs. 1-8) ; and are liable to 
distortion, a specimen (fig. 9) having its seales on one side 
puckered and converging, and another (fig. 10) having the stem 
grown quite through. These peculiarities would of course in no 
way preclude the reference of the species to the Coniferz or Pro- 
teacex ; but still they are more commonly seen in Alnus. The 
scales are in 8 rows instead of 5 as in the living species ; though 
there are approximately the same number in each spiral, giving 
the cone a more crowded and eompact appearance, and forming 
a richer rosette at the apex and base (tigs. 11 and 12). 
Portions of the stem are frequently attached, and these are not 
only grooved externally, as is frequently the case in Alnus gluti- 
nosa ; but, as Bowerbank observed, do not present the slightest 
trace of the dotted ducts and structure peculiar to Conifere. 
The presence and character of this stem affords very strong evi- 
dence in favour of their reference to Alnus; for while cones of 
the Conifers are so easily detached that I know of no instance in 
which they have remained attached after floating about in sea- 
water long enough to have become imbedded and fossilized, the 
Alnus-cones are so adherent that it is impossible to break them 
from the branch without some part of the stem remaining 
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