the Stnicture of' Recent and Fossil Coniferce. S7l 

 nothing lias occurred that can tend to invalidate the generic and 

 specific characters that have been elicited. 



Fourthly, " The method of investigating the structure of 

 coniferae by the characters displayed in the longitudinal sections 

 has" (5W?/ been much vaunted as a new discovery,'' in Mr 

 Witham's second edition ; nor was it Professor Lindley who 

 first published the advantages resulting from it, although he 

 was the first who applied it to the fossil coniferae ; but whether 

 Mr Nicol has often employed it or not, he is well aware that 

 at the period of the publication of Mr Witham's first work, he 

 held it in utter contempt, alleging that longitudinal slices 

 shew nothing whatever. In consequence of representations of 

 this kind, a single longitudinal section was all that I was allowed 

 to introduce among the drawings, although I represented to Mr 

 Witham the necessity of examining the tissue in various direc- 

 tions. Notwithstanding this radical defect, Mr Witham's work 

 answered effectually the very important purpose of opening up 

 a new field for investigation. 



Fifthly, As to the slicing and polishing ascribed *' by unwise 

 friends'' to Mr Witham, I am sure that gentleman will leave 

 Mr Nicol and the lapidaries to settle the matter as they may 

 think fit. 



Sixthly, The comparative accuracy of the descriptions and 

 figures in Mr Witham's book and Mr Nicol's paper, will neces- 

 sarily be decided upon by those who find the subject sufficiently 

 interesting to engage their attention. It must of course be 

 admitted, that Mr Witham was the first who drew the atten- 

 tiqn of geologists to the subject of the internal structure of fossil 

 plants as disclosed by transparent slices, similar to those made 

 , in recent plants for the same purpose, and few will be disposed 

 to deny that his labours have been productive of benefit to 

 science. The very attack that has been made upon him is a 

 proof of his great merit ; for almost every remarkable discovery 

 has been similarly treated. On this subject, however, I do 

 not intend to expatiate, it being merely my duty to assure " the 

 scientific world," that my drawings in Mr Witham's work were 

 carefully executed, and that the descriptions in which I assisted 

 were certainly not intended to deceive. Although Mr Nicol 

 mow chooses to detract from their merits, he expressed his entire 



