304, MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 
which, while it approaches nearer to Cycas, yet is sufficiently different 
to form a distinct tribe of equal value with the other two. 
On CALAMiTEiB and Possil Equisetaceje. By W. Carre- 
t tiers • 
Having introduced his subject by describing the structure of the 
recent genus Equisetum, he described the various fossil steins that had 
been considered to be allied to this genus. While true specnnens ot 
Equisetace* had been found fossil, the great majority of the steins re- 
ferred to this Order were very different, and those belonging to Lata- 
miles had a structure unlike anything known in this or m any other 
Order of Acotyledons. The most important characters were obtained 
by botanists from the fructification; and the author bad obtained, 
through the kindness of Dr. Hooker, sections of vegetable structures 
prepared by Mr. Binney, whose extensive acquaintance with coal plants 
was well known. He had discovered, in some of these, fruits winch 
belonged to Catamites so beautifully preserved that the most minute 
details could be determined, and, with the help of his diagrams e 
described their structure and illustrated the various points in w n 
thev a-reed with and differed from the fruits of the recent Equisetacere. 
He then described the foliage which had been certainly found conuecw 
with Catamites, and which had been named Jsterophythte* ; anc 
showed that as similar fruits bad been found associated with Amu a 
and Sphenophjllum, which differed from AsteropJrylldes only in ^ 
amount of cellular tissue spread out on the veins, there could ^ 
doubt that these also were the foliage of members of this large ig 
or tribe of plants. Catamites he considered to represent a new 1 a ^ 
Order, more highly organized than any Acotyledonous Order, 
tainly belonging to this great class of plants. 
On the Fruit of a Pandanus from the Great 
By W. Carruthers. 
The specimen belonged to the Northampton MutenB, ^ 8ll ^ fe d it 
brought under his notice by his friend Mr. S. Sharp. He e ^ 
to be nearly allied to, if not identical, with the ' w ^ V f l} 7cklandii, 
cone which Lindley figured under the name of SlrobdUe* ^ ^ 
but he was unable to determine its affinities on account ot l ^^ 
preservation. It differed very greatly from Bucklaods 
