SCOTS PINE. 379 



positions on the twig : (1) the small green cones at the 

 tip of the current year's shoot ; (2) the larger but still 

 green and fairly soft cones, placed laterally at the top of 

 last year's shoot ; (3) still larger but brown and woody 

 cones, placed laterally at the top of the shoot of the year 

 before last and having the scales separated so that the 

 seeds are exposed. In each case, split the cone longi- 

 tudinally and sketch the cut surface, after noting and 

 sketching the external characters. 



(a) In the young female cone, note that (1) the cone- 

 bud corresponds in position to a young long- shoot bud at 

 the top of the young axis in May when the compound bud 

 has opened ; (2) instead of remaining small, as the young 

 shoot-buds do in the first year, the young cone grows 

 actively, and from being about 5 mm. long in May has by 

 August grown much larger, though still green; (3) at 

 first, when very small, the cone stands straight out in line 

 with the main axis ; (4) a little later its stalk curves 

 backwards ; (5) cut longitudinally, the cone shows an axis 

 with numerous scales, bearing the ovules on their upper 

 side close to the cone axis ; (6) on dissection of the cone, 

 each cone is seen to bear two ovules side by side, the 

 flaring trumpet-like micropyle of each ovule facing the 

 cone axis. 



(fr) Carefully remove a whole carpel and placental scale 

 from the young cone, and treat with potash or eau de 

 javelle or carbolic acid to clear it. (1) Mount it with the 

 upper (ovule-bearing) side uppermost, and note (a) the 

 outline of the placental scale, (6) its thickened outer 

 portion, (c) the two ovules at its lower end, lying side by 

 side, and each having the micropyle expanded laterally 

 into little forceps-like processes. (2) Turn the prepara- 

 tion over, and on the lower side note (a) the form of the 

 small thin carpel, (6) the large placental scale which grows 

 beyond it. 



(c) In the one-year-old cone more correctly, cone of 

 second year note that (1) the cone remains closed during 

 its first winter ; (2) all the second season is taken up in the 

 further growth of the cone; (3) the scales have become 



