130 Proceedings of the BoTjal Physical Society. 



Schutzia anomala (Geinitz)/ and regards the Schutzia as 

 the female, and the Dictyothalamus as the male plant. The 

 structure in the latter which Goppert believed to be seeds, 

 Schimper thinks are stamens, and this view I am inclined to 

 adopt. These remarks show that the real affinities of Schutzia 

 are very obscure. 



Schimper regarded these fossils as belonging to a "coniferous 

 plant, which was altogether paradoxical and without any 

 analogy, either fossil or recent." ^ 



Although this is not a very satisfactory manner of disposing 

 of Schutzia, the conclusions arrived at by Schimper may 

 possibly be correct, though we have little positive evidence 

 to support this opinion. 



Large coniferous stems, with their internal structure 

 beautifully preserved, are of frequent occurrence in various 

 parts of the Calciferous Sandstones of Scotland. The remains 

 of coniferous trees also occur in rocks of similar age in 

 different parts of the globe ; but notwithstanding their wide 

 geographical distribution and frequency of occurrence, there 

 is nothing definitely known regarding their fruit or foliage. 



Prof Dawson has described and figured a small coniferous- 

 like branch from Tatamagouche (Carboniferous formation), 

 which he has named Araucarites gracilis.^ This, he thinks, 

 may possibly belong to his Dadoxylon materiarum^ 



Some botanists regard the Trigonocarpons as the fruit of 

 Conifers, but this opinion is not universally accepted.^ 



The absence, however, of conclusive evidence as to the 

 fruit and foliage of Palaeozoic Coniferse is not so surprising 

 when we consider that the ancient pines most probably 

 occupied the uplands of the then existing continents, and 

 only the stems and larger branches would be able to resist 



^ Schimper, Traite d. Paleont. Veget., vol. ii., p. 358. 



2 Loc. cit., p. 358. 



3 Dawson, Arcadian Geology, 2d edit,, p. 474, iig. 159a (1868). 



^ Dawson, I. c, p. 424. Stur also gives, in his "Culm Flora" (p. 81, pi. 

 xiv., fig. 4), a small figure and description of a fossil he has named Pinites 

 antecedens. The specimen is small, and its union with the Coniferse appears a 

 little uncertain. 



5 Since writing the above, Prof. Williamson, in his Address at the British 

 Association, has given a resume of this subject (Nature, Sept. 20, 1883). 



