255 



E. J. Quekett on Vegetable Fibre. " I perceive that in the number of 

 the Microscopic Journal for May last, it is mentioned that " an error has 

 been pointed out" respecting the date of my having made some obser- 

 vations on a peculiar vegetable structure, visible in a certain specimen 

 of coal ; and it is stated, that the object of correcting such was, *' be- 

 cause it involves a question of priority as to two discoveries, the one by 

 Dr. Barry in recent vegetable structure, the other by Mr. Quekett in the 

 remains of vegetable fibre found by him in a specimen of coal and of 

 silicified coniferous wood." 



The date of the observation was certainly wrongly given in the 

 Journal, being one year too early ; but in mentioning the subject, I had 

 not the slightest idea of doing so with a view to claim any priority in 

 the discovery, but merely to exhibit the perfect state of preservation of 

 a singular tissue in a specimen of coal. 



If the statement made by Dr. Barry in December last, for which he 

 claims a priority of observation, be contrasted with that made by my- 

 self in March last, it will be obvious that the observations of Dr. Barry 

 do not appear to have reference to the same fact as my own ; his relate 

 to the structure of the fibre of a vessel of a plant, and mine to the ar- 

 rangement of the fibres irrespective of structure. 



Dr. Barry states (No. 51, p. 364, Proc. of Royal Soc.), that the ap- 

 parently simple "fibre" (vegetable or animal), "being to all appear- 

 ance composed of two spirals running in opposite directions and inter- 

 lacing at certain regular intervals," " a transverse section of such an 

 object is rudely represented by the fig. 8." 



Contrast this statement with that to which I am reported to have 

 made, viz., "where there are more than one row of dots on each (woody) 

 fibre, these dots appeared to be formed by two spirals wound in the in- 

 terior in different directions, the turns of each connected at intervals by 

 longitudinal bands, thereby leaving a transparent space by such ar- 

 arrangement." Nothing is here stated of two spiral fibres interlacing 

 with each other, but that the turns of either spiral are connected to 

 each other by longitudinal bands, and not that one spiral fibre inter- 

 laces with the other. In fact, if a section of the tube containing the 

 fibres be made transversely, it would not in any respect resemble 

 the figure 8 ; but would exhibit the plan as if three cylinders were 

 placed one within the other, the outer entire, the inner two perforated 

 with oval holes, in one taking the direction of a right-handed, and in 

 the other of a left-handed screw, the holes (dots) being formed as be- 

 fore stated. 



As regards the apparently simple fibre of an ordinary vessel of a plant 

 " being to all appearance composed of two spirals running in opposite 

 directions, and interlacing at certain regular intervals," is a structure 



