PKOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 535 



IV. Coniferae. These Gymnosperms were the most highly organised 

 plants of the Coal Measures. At the present day they are scattered over 

 the earth, supplying the greatest quantity of timber for economic pur- 

 poses. They are represented in our indigenous flora by the pine, juniper, 

 and yew. A large variety of gymnospermous fruits have been described 

 from the Coal Measures, whose affinities appear to him to be with the 

 Taxineae, held generally to be the highest group of conifers. Specimens 

 of the wood also were frequently found preserved. A stem of great size 

 had been set up in the grounds of the Natural History Museum. 



In illustration of these remarks, a number of actual preparations were 

 shown upon the screen, the majority of which showed the particular 

 structure they were intended to illustrate — a few only being a little too 

 thick to exhibit the details by that method of illumination. 



Mr. A. W. Bennett felt quite incompetent to discuss the very inter- 

 esting points mentioned by the President in connection with the Paleozoic 

 plants. He should, however, like to say a few words to elicit an opinion 

 on a matter which seemed to be of great interest. Most people who were 

 at all interested in the subject must be aware of the recent discovery of 

 the mode of impregnation in some of the Cycadeae, by means of active 

 spermatozoids, as in the case of the Vascular Cryptogams, and this seemed 

 to suggest the question whether the Gymnosperms are not more closely 

 allied to the Vascular Cryptogams than is usually recognised. Did the 

 evidence of palaeontology favour the view that Gymnosperms displayed 

 a closer affinity to the Vascular Cryptogams than to the higher section of 

 flowering plants, the Angiosperms ? 



The President said there could be no doubt that the question to 

 which Mr. Bennett had called attention was one which deserved careful 

 consideration ; but it should be remembered that in these strata they 

 only saw four groups of plants, and that the Coniferae were found along- 

 side the others, and were evidently living at the same period. They did 

 not know of any moving male bodies which assisted in the fertilisation, 

 and Brongniart had shown the presence of pollen grains in the apical 

 cavities of fruits which had been preserved in silex. They did not know 

 how these spermatozoids were developed in Salisburia ; but if they 

 rendered the pollen-grains unnecessary, then the evidence afforded by 

 the presence of the pollen in these extinct fruits would be against the 

 idea of including the Gymnosperms with the Cryptogams. In the 

 Gymnosperms they had a seed formed by the union of the pollen-grain 

 with the ovule ; and they had also many cotyledons in the embryo, con- 

 ditions which widely separated the Gymnosperms from the Cryptogams. 



Mr. Karop said it would be in order for him to propose a formal vote 

 of thanks to the President for the very excellent demonstration he had 

 given them ; and as the President could not put this to the meeting him- 

 self, he was sure they would pass this at once. 



The President said he was very much obliged to Mr. Karop and the 

 Fellows for the kind way in which they had passed this vote of thanks ; 

 he only regretted that some of his slides had not come out so well as he 

 wished, on account of their being too dense for lantern purposes ; there 

 was no fault in the light. He hoped it was more interesting for the 

 Fellows to see the actual objects themselves so far as the lantern would 

 show them, than merely to exhibit drawings. 



