232 



Linncan Sociefy. 



[March 18 



March 18. 



E. Forster, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. 

 Edward Doubleday, Esq., Surgeon, was elected a Fellow. 



A compound Microscoije for the use of the Society was presented 

 by the following Fellows : — 



Eilwavd Forster, Esq., V.P. 

 Tliornas Bell, Esq. 

 J. J. Bennett, Esq. 

 F. Boott, Esq., M.D. 



E. Doubleday, Esq. 

 J. A. Hanke)-, Esq. 



J. D. Hooker, Esq., M.I). 

 J. Janson, Esq. 



F. H. Jinson, Esq. 

 T. C. Janson, Esq. 

 W. H. Lloyd, Esq. 



J. Milne, Esq. 



F. G. P. Neison, Esq. 



D. Sharpe, Esq. 

 R. H. Sollv, Esq. 



E. Solly, Esq. 

 W. H. Solly, Esq. 

 N. B. Ward, Esq. 

 A. White, Esq. 



J. E. Winterbottoni, Esq. 

 W. Yarrell, Esq. 



Read " Remarks on the Examination of some Fossil Woods which 

 tend to elucidate the structure of ceitain tissues in the recent Plant." ' 

 By Edwin John Quekett, Esq., F.L.S. &c. &c. 



The structures which Mr. Quekett proposes to elucidate are the 

 fibres of spiral vessels and the dots of the woody fibres of Coni/erce. 



On the first head he states, that in the examination of a specimen 

 of fossil Palm- wood, he observed that a portion of it readily broke 

 down into minute fragments, which, on examination under the mi- 

 croscope, were seen to be composed of cyhnders more or less elon- 

 gated and min-ute rounded granules. Round the cylinders was wound 

 a perfect screw (mth either a single or compound helix) undoubt- 

 edly fashioned from the interior of the spiral vessel, and affording 

 the most satisfactory evidence that the spiral fibre is really formed 

 in the interior of the vessel, as most recent observers have main- 

 tained. 



On the second point, the nature of the dots on the woody fibres 

 of Coni/erce, Mr. Quekett's observations derived from fossils filso 

 confirm the views now most generally entertained by microscopic 

 observers of the recent structures. In a specimen of fossil wood from 

 Fredericsberg in Virginia, received from Prof. Bailey, which was 

 easily broken into minute fragments in the direction of the woody 

 fibres, he found a beautiful example of casts of woody tissue with 

 numerous spirals traversing the interior. At various parts were seen 



