On (he Fussil I'lant^s uf the Coal-measures. 271 



throughout the greater part of the seed, but which splits up at its 

 apt'X into two ])urti()iis, the iniuT one of which forms a ri*niurkable 

 fhisk-shapi'd ia\ity, which the author clcsignatcs tlie hl^^■no^t<)Ille. 

 Its bast' has restt'd iijiou tlie apex of the pcrispcmi, and its iijtpiT 

 extremity has been continuous with the micropyle. Within this 

 lagcnostoinc is a little delicate parenchyma, which has shrunk up 

 towards the centre of the cavity, leaving a surrounding Hj)ace in 

 which, in some examples, the author has found the objects 

 regarded by M. Brongniart as pollen-grains — an opinion in which 

 the author concurs. External to the lagenostome the second or 

 outer division of the nucular membrane forms a remarkable 

 "canopy," which hangs down from the micropyle, enclosing the 

 lagenostome within ten shaq)ly defined and regular crescent ic 

 folds, the concavities of which are directed outwards. The walls 

 of this lagenostome and of the "canopy" correspond with the 

 nucular membrane in consisting of flattened prosenchvmatous 

 cells. The peris^K'nnic membnuie, on the other hand, looks 

 structureless, save that it ai)pears to have had imbedded in it an 

 innumerable multitude of minute crystals, like those observed by 

 Dr. Hooker on the spicular cells of Weltcitschia. 



A second species the author designates Lacienostoma p7i>/soiifcs. 

 In this the apex of the endospermic sac contracts into a mammil- 

 liform prolongation, overlapped by the base of the lagenostome, 

 which overhangs it as a bladder half-full of water might be made 

 to overhang the neck of a soda-water bottle upon which it rested. 

 This species has other distinctive structural peculiarities. 



For a second genus of new seeds the author proposes the name 

 of Co)iostoni(i. C. ohloiKja from Oldham is about 'IS of an inch in 

 length. Here, again, we have an endosperm enclosed in a peri- 

 spermic mendjrane, and this in turn is encased within a nucular 

 one, the whole being invested by a dense testa. The lagenostome 

 is again formed out of divisions of the apical part of the nucular 

 membrane ; but it assumes a funnel-shape at its base, whilst its 

 upper extremity is continuous with the micropyle. A second 

 species, named C. ovalis, is from the Burntisland deposit, and is 

 more ovate than C. ohlomja. In it the lagenostome assumes a 

 remarkalily funnel-shaped contour. The same deposit has fur- 

 nished a third species, C. intermedia. To another remarkable seed 

 from Oldham the author gives the name of Malacotcstd ohlonga, 

 of which the maximum length, exclusive of its funiculus, has been 

 about -2'). Its exotesta has been soft and parenchymatous, with 

 a prosenchymatous inner (nucular?) membrane. The micropvle 

 has been remarkably wide with incurved margins at the exostome, 

 and enclosing a mass of delicate j)arenchyma through which a 

 canal passed. 



The author has obtained a fine series both of longitudinal and 

 transverse sections of Trirjoiioatrpum oliva-fonne , the seed long 

 ago made the subject of a valimble memoir by Dr. Hooker and 

 Mr. Binney. So far as the longitudinal sei'tions are concerned, 

 the results obtauied correspond closely with those already arrived 

 at by these two authors, except that a modified form of lagenostome 



