304 Mr. A. Murray on the Homologies of 



Note. — To the description of H. asper ( = G. spinicaudus) I 

 will add that the number of ribs in this species is thirteen pairs, 

 not fourteen, and that the first two pairs of ribs are united to the 

 large excavated manubrium sterni. This is followed by a smaller 

 piece, to which two pairs of ribs are also attached, and which is 

 united with the manubrium by a synchondrosis. Then follow two 

 small sternal vertebrse, to which three pairs of ribs are attached; 

 and then comes the processus xiphoideus. Thus there are seven 

 pairs of true, and six pairs of false riba. 



XL. — Additional Remarlis on the Homologies of the Flowers of 

 Conifers. By Andrew Murray, F.L.S. 



On looliing over my paper on the above subject in last month's 

 * Annals,' I see that I have scarcely sufficiently unbosomed my- 

 self on one point, which, on reperusal, seems to me to deserve 

 more remark than I gave it. 



The point is, whether the bract is the equivalent of the petal 

 or of the calyx. That it is part of the floral envelope I have no 

 doubt ; and all that I said regarding it in that capacity (which 

 was the most important point of view in my inquiry) would 

 apply equally to it as either. 



The main purpose to which I put it was to prove that the 

 scale was equivalent to the disk, as lying between the pericarp 

 and the petal or floral envelope ; and on that point I do not 

 think more need be said. But the question remains, — What 

 particular part of the floral envelope is represented by the 

 bract ? 



In my last paper I pointed out that the appearance of the 

 scale of the female flower of fVellingtonia gigantea might lead 

 to the belief that it was the equivalent of the male scale, and 

 consequently must be the female petal; and I warned the reader 

 against adopting that view, because I considered that the more 

 petaloid character of the bract (a claret-coloured crust in Wel- 

 lingtonia) rendered it improbable that it should be the calyx, 

 and the green scale the petal. Having arrived at this conclu- 

 sion, I omitted to give, or, rather, I deleted from ray paper, 

 an explanation which had occurred to me of the mode in which 

 the scale combined the functions of disk and petal. 



On reconsideration, that explanation appears still to have so 

 much to recommend it that 1 now briefly submit it to the 

 reader as an alternative view of the homology of the bract. 



We have seen that the petal of the male flower is merely a 

 continuation of the leaf-scales growing on the twig which bears 

 the flower. That the scale of the female flower seems to be in 



