November i6, 1899] 



NA TURE 



69 



The author described two specimens of biserial Halonias 

 showing on the surface Lepidophloios leaf-scars, in support of the 

 view that the Hough Hill specimen may be regarded as a 

 fruiting branch of Lepidophloios. 



Mr. A. C. Seward showed some microphotographs, and gave 

 a brief account of a new genus of Palaeozoic plants. 



The description of this genus, which represents a new type of 

 Cycadofilices, was founded on a single specimen in the Binney 

 Collection of Coal-measure Plants. The specimen consists of a 

 small piece of stem, unfortunately without the cortical tissues, 

 with the structure of the primary and secondary wood very 

 clearly preserved. A strand of primary xylem, i 9 cm. in 

 diameter, occupies the axial region ; this consists of large iso- 

 diametric or slightly elongated tracheids with multiseriate 

 bordered pits, associated with parenchymatous tissue ; the narrow 

 protoxylem elements occur at the margin of the primary stele, 

 which is, therefore, of exarch structure. Surrounding the primary 

 stele there is a broad cylinder of secondary wood exhibiting 

 anatomical features characteristic of Cycadean stems. Leaf- 

 traces, consisting of long tracheids intermixed with parenchyma, 

 are given off from the periphery of the primary strand. 



The features of most interest in the anatomy of this stem are 

 (l) the manner of origin and behaviour of the leaf-traces ; {2) the 

 exarch structure of the primary xylem ; and (3) the structure of 

 the large primary tracheids. The author placed the genus among 

 the Cycadofilices, and compared it with Heteratigitini and other 

 Palaeozoic genera, also with Lygodiiim and other recent plants. 



Mr. A. C. Seward also gave a rhumJ of his recent work on 

 the Jurassic flora of Britain. The Lower Oolite rocks exposed 

 in the cliff-section between Whitby and a few miles south of 

 Scarborough have long been famous as affording rich collections 

 of fossil plants, which enable us to form a fairly accurate idea of 

 the chief characteristics of the Jurassic flora. Plants from the 

 Yorkshire coast are abundantly represented in most of the 

 English museums as well as in continental collections. The 

 Ferns and Cycadean genera constituted a large proportion of the 

 vegetation, with an abundance of one or two species of Eqiii- 

 setites and a few conifers ; no trace of undoubted Angiosperms 

 has so far been discovered. The account of the flora includes a 

 description of the more important types, a general comparison 

 of the English species with recent plants, and remarks on the 

 characteristics and distribution of the Lower Oolite floras. 



The same author, in conjunction with Miss J. Gowan, gave an 

 account of the morphology and geological history of the maiden- 

 hair tree {Ginkgo biloba). The chief points dealt with in the 

 paper may be summarised as follows : — 



( I ) Ginkgo bilhoa. — The history of our knowledge of Ginkgo ; 

 its external features and peculiarities ; the variability in form 

 and structure of the leaves ; the structure and morphology of 

 the male and female flowers ; pollination and fertilisation of the 

 ovule ; the development and structure of the embryo ; the 

 anatomy of the seedling and adult plant ; comparison of Ginkgo 

 with other genera, and its place in the plant-kingdom. 



(2) Fossil Ginkgoaceae. — A general consideration of the evidence 

 available towards an account of the past history oi Ginkgo and 

 closely allied plants ; a comparison of Ginkgo with various 

 fossil types from Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Tertiary horizons ; 

 the geographical distribution of Ginkgo during the Mesozoic 

 and Tertiary epochs. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Cambridge. — The following is the speech delivered on 

 November 9 by the Public Orator, Dr. Sandys, in present- 

 ing Prof. Somerville for the complete degree of Master of Arts 

 honoris causa. 



Agri culturae professorem nostrum primum, auspiciis optimis 

 nuper electum, Universitatis totius nomine libenter salutamus. 

 Salutamus virum, primum per sex annos rei rusticae experientia 

 probatum, deinde per quinquennium scientiae studiis et domi 

 et peregre excultum ; virum non modo nomismate non uno 

 honorifice donatum, sed etiam doctoris titulo inter Monacenses 

 summa cum laude ornatum ; virum denique et Societati Regiae 

 Edinensi et Societati Linnaeanae Londinensi in perpetuum ad- 

 scriptum. Olim inter Edinenses primus rei silvestris praeceptor, 

 deinde in Universitate Dunelmensi agri culturae professor primus 

 constitutus, nuper eodemcum titulo e Boreali Brilanniae regione 

 ad nos feliciter devectus est. Viri talis auxilio rei rusticae 



NO. 1568, VOL. 61] 



scientia, olim ab ipsoTullio senectutis inter voluptates numerata 

 nunc demum etiam iuventutis nostrae inter studia locum diu 

 sibi debitum sine dubio vindicabit. 

 Duco ad vos Willei.mu^m Somerville. 



Mr, Shelford Bidwell, F.R.S., has been approved for the 

 degree of Doctor of Science. 



An Isaac Newton Student in Astronomy and Physical Optics 

 will be elected next term. The studentship is worth 200/. a 

 year for three years. Candidates must be Bachelors of Arts who 

 are under the age of twenty-five. Applications are to be sent to 

 the Vice-Chancellor between Januaiy 16 and 26, 1900. 



Prof. Somerville will give an inaugural lecture on "Some 

 aspects of the bearings of Science and Education on Practical 

 Agriculture " on Friday, November 24, at noon, in the Chemical 

 Theatre. 



A report proposing a new scheme for the Mathematical Tripos 

 has been issued to the Senate. Among other changes, it suggests 

 the abolition of the time-honoured "order of merit" in the 

 Tripos list. 



By the will of the late Mr. Cornelius Vanderbilt, ot New 

 York, Yale University receives 100,000 dollars, and Vanderbilt 

 University 50,000 dollars. 



Sir Michael Hicks Beach, Chancellor of the Exchequer,, 

 spoke on the subject of commercial education at the Mansion- 

 House on Friday last. In the course of his remarks he referred- 

 to the University of London, and said that the reorganisation 

 offered an opportunity to a "pious founder" to graft upon the 

 University a faculty of commerce in which the study of all sub- 

 jects belonging to commercial education shall be encouraged. 

 He pointed out that there is no part of the world in which there 

 are greater chances at the present time of pushing our trade and 

 commerce than in the empire of China, and yet there is no 

 civilised part of the world the language and history and customs 

 of which are so absolutely unknown to the vast majority of our - 

 people. If it were possible to expend a comparatively small sum 

 in extending a knowledge of these things in connection with a 

 faculty of commerce in the University, more might l)e done to 

 promote British trade and commerce in China than will ever be 

 done by extracting concessions from the Government of China, 

 many of which, the speaker added, will confer benefit upon 

 nobody except the promoters who try to float them into . 

 companies. 



The ninth annual report of the Technical Instruction Com- 

 mittee of the City of Manchester shows that steady progress 

 was made during the year ending last ir.onth. The large scale 

 of the operations of the committee may be judged by the fact 

 that the payments made in connection with the Municipal/ 

 Technical School amounted to 16,796/. The expenditure on 

 capital account to meet various charges in respect of the new 

 building was 26,531/., making a total sum of 97,061/. expended, 

 for this purpose up to last March. The receipts from the 

 Exchequer Contribution Account (Customs and Excise) were 

 15,567/. and the amount raised from the rates was 7585/. The 

 new estimates provide a sum of 33,000/. for building purposes 

 during the current year in connection with the technical school 

 in course of construction. The total sum now borrowed upon 

 capital account for providing technical schools in Manchester 

 is 140,000/. When the new municipal technical school is com- 

 pleted, Manchester will possess one of the finest buildings in 

 the country for carrying on the work of technical education. 

 For the equipment of the building alone a loan of 59,025/. has 

 been sanctioned by the Local Government Board. Referring 

 to the subject of secondary education, the committee remark : — 

 "The enactment during the past session of Parliament of a 

 measure establishing a Board of Education cannot but be satis- 

 factory, however much it may fall short of finality, to all those 

 who are sincerely interested in the advance on sound lines of 

 secondary and technical education, since it creates for the first 

 time a real and responsible Minister of Education, and unifies 

 the various branches of education — elementary, secondary and 

 technical — under one controlling authority. It will unquestion- 

 ably promote the eflicient working of the technical schools by 

 the measures which it will take to place the secondary education 

 of the country, now so lamentably deficient, upon a sound and 

 satisfactory basis, without which no technical education worthy 

 of the name can be carried on," 



