BOTANICAL NEWS. 303 



He had since met with confirmatory ericlence in a specimen of a fluted and 

 ribbed SIgillaria, showing tlie internal structure of Stigmariu. Mr. Baily, in 

 Devonian strata in Ireland, had found the root, stem, branches, leaves, and fruit 

 of a plant which could, with certainty, be correlated. The root was a SHff- 

 maria, the stem a fluted Sigillaria, the branches and leaves like those of Lepi- 

 dodendron, and the fruit that of a cryptogam allied to Lepidodendron. With 

 regard to the American specimens cited by the author, he would not speak 

 with certainty ; but he might suggest a different interpretation. The axis was 

 probably foreign to the Sigillaria in which it was found, and was a true coni- 

 ferous stem, composed of pith, medullary sheath, and wood with medullary 

 rays, and vascular bundles passing to the leaves. Plants growing in the inte- 

 rior of decayed sigillarian stems had been mistaken for organic pitlis, though 

 they belonged to two or three genera. Dr. Dawson's estimate of Calamites and 

 allied genera essentially agreed with those which he held. — Dr. Dawson thought 

 that the views of Mr. Carruthers and his own might possibly be reconciled, but 

 he was not prepared to admit that the plant discovered by Mr. Baily was a 

 true Sigillaria. It belonged, moreover, to the Devonian period, and not to 

 the Carboniferous. He quite agreed with Mr. Carruthers in regarding the 

 stems described as closely allied with gymnosperms. Ho insisted on the layer 

 at the base of the interior of the trunks of tlie erect Siglllarice afibrding evi- 

 dence of the interior structure of the plant, inasmuch as it consisted of the com- 

 pressed and decayed inner tissues of the tree. It was curious that similar spe- 

 cimens had not been found in England ; but the structures of these plants 

 certainly occur in the English coal, whicli, like that of Nova Scotia, rests on 

 Stigmaria-nnAevda^B ; and there were other instances of trees being common 

 in the corJ-mcasurea of Nova Scotia, which were extremely rare in England ; 

 and the same discrepancies were found between different American coal-fields. 



gjotankal Itcbs. 



We are glad to be able to announce that the publication, temporarily inter- 

 rupted, of the new edition of ' English Botany,' is to be at once resumed. 

 Only the Grasses remain to be described. 



Mr. Charles P. Hobkirk, of Huddei-sficld, is now delivering a course of 

 lectures on botany in connection witli the Huddersfield Literary and Scientific 

 Society. 



Professor M. A. Lawson, of Oxfonl, read at tiie recent Horticultural Con- 

 gress in that city, a short paper on the more eminent botanists connected with 

 the University, from the first curator of the garden, Jacob Bobart the elder, 

 down to the present time. Short biographical notices were given of Morison, 

 both Bobarts, Dillenius, the two Sibthorps, Dr. George Williams, and the late 

 Dr. Daubeny. The paper has been printed in the ' Gardeners' Chronicle.' 



Professor Suringar, of Leyden, has issued a valuable treatise on tlie Alga? of 

 Japan, many of which are used as food there. 



