On Sjyores in the Carhoiiiferous Formation of Scotland. 85 



beautiful example, which he named Zepidostrolms Dahadianus, 

 was found in the drift at the entrance of the Valley of Volpe, 

 Haute, Garonne; hence its true geological age cannot be 

 satisfactorily determined. 



In the following year (1871) Mr Binney figured a number 

 of Zepidostrohi, some of which showed only the sporangia con- 

 taining macrospores, whilst other more perfect examples 

 showed the upper sporangia to contain microspores and the 

 lower macrospores. Such is the case in his Lepidostrohus 

 levidensis, L. Wunschianus, and L. latus. Mr Binney was 

 therefore the first to note the occurrence of micro- and macro- 

 spores in cones of undoubted carboniferous age.^ 



It is impossible to do more than refer very briefly to the 

 numerous observations on the occurrence of macrospores and 

 microspores, made by Professor Williamson in his various 

 memoirs " On the Organisation of the Fossil Plants of the 

 Coal Measures," where he gives many figures and descriptions 

 of these organisms, either as isolated fossils or as contained 

 in their parent sporangia. It is, however, necessary to refer 

 more particularly to a few forms which are of special interest 

 to us at present. 



In the Phil. Trans, for 1872 are described some macro- 

 spores, of which the peculiarity "is the projection from 

 every part of their external surfaces of numerous caudate 

 appendages, which appear to be actual prolongations of the 

 investing layer of the spore," ^ " These appendages are 

 rather thicker at their bases than nearer their extremities, 

 but the extreme tip of each one is slightly capitate." The 

 structure of these appendages answ^ers exactly to those on 

 some macrospores w^e describe under the name of Lagenicula 

 (PL VI., Fig. 20/-S). 



Other macrospores from Halifax, furnished with fringes of 

 radiating appendages clothing the exterior of the spore, are 

 also described by Professor Williamson. Some of these 

 appendages are simple, others are branched.^ 



1 Observations on the Structure of Fossil Plants in the Carboniferous Strata, 

 Part ii. Lepidostrobi and some Allied Cones — Palseontographical Soc. , 1871. 



2 On the Organisation of the Fossil Plants of the Coal Measures, Part iii,, 

 p. 296, PL XLIV., Fig. 27^. 



3 Phil. Trans,, Part ii., 1878, PL XXIII. , Figs. 58-60 (Memoir IX.). 



