546 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



This interesting contribution was illustrated by a series of 

 drawings on the blackboard. 



Mr. J. Burton read a communication from Mr. E. M. Nelson 

 on " Palaeozoic Fungi." His object in bringing this subject 

 forward was to indicate to the members the extreme interest 

 contained in the study of the flora of palaeozoic days, and in the 

 hope that some may take up this fascinating branch of science. 

 Many microscopists are aware of a disease called " diatom-fever " ; 

 but Mr. Nelson can state that " palaeo-botany fever " produced 

 a much higher temperature, and he hoped it would prove very 

 contagious amongst the members. Every one is aware that 

 botanical fossils have been studied for many years ; but it is 

 only during the last twenty or thirty years that material suitable 

 for microscopical examination has been available. The so-called 

 fossils from coal-mines in museums are not really fossils, but 

 casts, the plants having become carbonised, and their cellular 

 structure can no longer be seen. A piece of coal under micro- 

 scopic examination would reveal no structural cell-work, for that 

 has been changed long ago. In recent years some true fossil 

 plants have been found so perfect that sections show the delicate 

 cell structure almost as clearly as freshly cut and stained sections 

 of present-day specimens. As an example of the knowledge 

 obtained by the direct application of the microscope in such 

 cases, Mr. Nelson takes the fact that coal was formerly con- 

 sidered to be chiefly formed from ferns, whereas now it is known 

 that ferns were by no means plentiful in those days, and that the 

 bulk of coal was formed by other forms of plants. These other 

 plants had fernlike vegetative characters, leaves, etc., but their 

 method of reproduction differed entirely from that of ferns. He 

 instanced how perfectly the vegetable tissues are preserved by a 

 slide in his collection containing a section of a small seed, with 

 the pollen grains in the pollen chamber, just previous to fertilisa- 

 tion, although 50,000,000 years must have elapsed since they 

 entered. The tracheides and the bordered pits in the cells are 

 also well preserved. He recommends those wishing to take up 

 this subject to read Dr. D. H. Scott's charming book, Studies 

 in Fossil Botany (2 vols., Black), or Ancient Plants, by Miss 

 Stopes, D.Sc. (Blackie). With reference to a slide exhibited, 

 a section of a leaf from Lepidodendron Harcourtii one of the 

 best known fossil stems, upon which was to be observed a brown 



