77 8 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



which attends it, while even a thorough knowledge of physiology- 

 seems often to be of little avail for self -management. 



In conclusion, I must say again that I am not here contending that 

 theism or that Christianity is true, nor do I blink the tremendous dif- 

 ficulties with which at this moment the proof of both of them is beset. 

 I stand up for history, and decline either to reject existing beliefs be- 

 fore they are confuted, or to accept new beliefs before they are proved. 

 There is nothing in this inconsistent with the most grateful veneration 

 for science, or the most perfect willingness to embrace any kind of 

 truth. Vincat Veritas, ruat coelum. Only, if the catastrophe does 

 happen, it will surely be better, with such spirit as we can summon, to 

 confront the void, and not to try to delude our souls by putting fig- 

 ments in the room of that which has been lost. Contemporary Review. 



FOSSIL SEEDS* 



By STANISLAS MEUNIEE. 



THE attention of Adolphe Brongniart was for a long time given to 

 the silicified fossil seeds which are inclosed in the beds of Autun 

 and Saint-Etienne. The illustrious naturalist found the study a virgin 

 domain, and an appropriate complement to his great labors on fossil 

 plants. Although our knowledge in this department is still very far 

 from complete, Brongniart was able to lay the foundation of a classi- 

 fication of these interesting remains ; and it gives us pleasure, as much 

 in the historical point of view as in its bearing on botany, to give a 

 succinct idea of it here. 



The seeds which Brongniart examined are divided into two prin- 

 cipal groups : 



A. Seeds with a binary symmetry, more or less flattened and bi- 

 carinated. This natural group includes the genera Cardiocarpus 

 (Fig. 1, 1), Phabdocarpus (Fig. 1, 2), Diplotesta, Sarcotaxus, Taxo- 

 sper?niim, and Leptocaryon, analogous to genera of the existing family 

 of the Taxinem. 



B. Seeds with a symmetrical radiation around an axis, in which 

 the number of the divisions varies from three, as in Pachytesta, Tri- 

 gonocarpus (Fig. 1, 3), Tripterospermxtm, to six, as in Ptyc/iotcsta, 

 IIexapterosper)mtm, Polypterospermum (Fig. 1, 5), Poh/lnpliosjiermiaih 

 or eight, as in Eriotesta, Codonospermion (Fig. 1, 6), or the section 

 of which is circular, as in Stephanospermum and JEtheotesta. These 

 seeds appear to represent the Siyillarice and the calamites, and some 

 genera of the cycads and conifers. 



* Translated for "The Popular Science Monthly " from " La Nature." 



