Palaeontologie. — Pharmaceutisches u. Chemisches. 591 



Scott, D. H., A New Type of Stern from the Coal- 

 Measures. (Linnean Society of London. General Meeting. 

 1. March 1906.) 



The stem is one of the many interesting fossils obtained 

 from the pit at Shore-Littleborough in Lancashire, 

 opened up for scientific purposes by the generosity of the owner, 

 Mr. W. H. Sutcliffe, F. G. S. The sections were cut by 

 Mr. J. Lomax. 



The specimen was derived from one of the roof-nodules 

 which generally represent a peculiar Flora, distinct from that 

 of the seam-nodules immediately below. Specimens of the 

 great petioles of the same plant had been discovered a year 

 or two before the stem itself came to light. The fragment 

 was about 15 cm. long, and belonged to a stem of considerable 

 size, the diameter being about 12X^,5 cm. 



The structure is quite distinct from that of any stem pre- 

 viously described. There is a Single large stele nearly 5 cm. 

 in its greatest diameter by nearly 2 cm. in breadth. The wood 

 is solid, without a pith, and consits throughout of pitted 

 tracheides interspersed with bands of parenchyma. The spiral 

 Clements (protoxylem) lie at the periphery of the primary wood. 

 Only some slight beginnings of secondary tissue-formation are 

 shown, 



From the stele large and rather irregulär vascular masses 

 (meristeles) are given off, which divide up, and ultimately give 

 rise to the numerous leaf-trace bundles; in some cases there 

 is a previous fusion with neighbouring meristeles. 



The structure of the leaf-bases bears a general resemblance 

 to that of Myeloxylon, the petiole of Mecliillosa. The bundles, 

 however, are concentric, not collateral, and the petiolar struc- 

 ture agrees very nearly with that of Rachiopteris Williamsoni 

 Seward, with which, however, the plant does not appear to be 

 specifically identical. 



The new stem is referred to the family Mediäloseae, of 

 which it constitutes a unique type. It is placed in a new 

 genus, named SutcUffia, in honour of Mr. Sutcliffe, of 

 Shore-Littleborough, and the specific name 6". insignis 

 is proposed for it. 



The structure of the genus Siitcliffla was further compared 

 with that of other Palaeozoic stems, especially Mecliillosa, Hete- 

 rangiiim, and Megaloxylon. 



A large series of lantern-slides, prepared by Mr. L. A. 

 Boodle, F. L. S., illustrated the paper. Scott. 



Harries, C, ZurKenntniss der Kautschukarten: lieber 



Aufbau und Constitution des Parakautschuks. 



(Ber. deutsch. Chem. Gesellschaft. Jg.XXXVIlI. 1905. p. 1195 



— 1203.) 



Die Arbeit Ist rein chemischer Art, von botanischem Interesse sind 

 die daraus gezogenen Folgerungen für die Entstehung des Kautschuks in 



