SPECIMENS Ob' FOSSIL WOODS IX NATAL :\[USK[JM. 355 



arranged tliau in the traclieides of older trunks, or there may 

 be some variation according to the part of tlie tree from 

 which the wood has come. 



II. DADOXYLON— SECOND SPECIES. 



The specimen (Mus. No. 160) about to be described was 

 ploughed up on Cronje's Flat, Dannhauser, Natal, and sent 

 to the Museum by Mr. William Pile, C.E., manager of the 

 Cambrian Collieries, 1905. The specimen consisted of a flat- 

 tened trunk about 1 ft. in height and 1 ft. in diameter, and 

 exhibited well-marked annual rings. It undoubtedly came 

 from the Natal Coal Measures (Upper Ecca). 



Desckiptiq]^. — xYverage width of annual rings about 

 3 mm. 



Traclieides squarish in cross-section, mean tangential 

 breadth 0'035 mm., length frequently about 0*8 mm. 

 Bordered pits somewhat hexagonal; in spring-wood closely 

 packed in two or three series, in autumn-wood often in single 

 rows, and more usually in contact and somewhat flattened. 

 Diameter of pit 0*009 mm. 



Medullary rays inimerous, on the average about seven to 

 every millimetre of tangential length : uniseriate, and the 

 mean -number of cells in vertical height is about seven. 

 Average radial length of medullary cell 0"084< mm., tangential 

 width, 0"017 mm., vertical height about 0"020 mm. 



The surface of contact between a medullary cell and 

 tracheide is pei"forated by a single lai'ge simple pit. The pit 

 may be a long, narrow, oblique slit, or it may be wide, and 

 even almost circular. 



Remains of resin were not noticed in the medullary cells. 



This species is sharply marked off from the other by the 

 pits being single in the radial walls of the medullary cells, 

 and bv the medullary cells beina; o-enerallv shorter in radial 

 length ; but in all other characters there is little to separate it. 



