FROM THE SECONDARY ROCKS OF BRITAIN. 685 





sized scars on the upper portion of the constriction wore produced by the bast* of the 

 fruit-bearing leaves 1 . 



The absence of seed-bearing cones in the beds in which these sterna occur, and the not 

 unfrequent occurrence of separate seeds agreeing in form and in the position of the scar 

 of attachment or hilum with those of Cycas, are further corroboration of the probability 



of this estimate of their affinity. 



The only certain indication of the antheriferous organs of fossil Cycadi which I have 

 seen from British strata, is a fragment of a cone found by S. It. Pattison, Es (., T.G.S., in 

 the same series of strata as those in which Buchlandia occurs, although not at the same 

 locality. He found it in one of the beds of the Hastings sands, a little to the east of I he 

 harbour rocks, Hastings. The fragment (Tab. LIV: fig. 6) represen a portion of th. 

 centre of a cone, compressed somewhat obliquely. A part of the axis is exposed, axhibit- 



surfaces of attachment of rather more than twenty scales. The substance of th- 

 converted into jet ; but the forms of the axis and scales arc pres red in t he white 

 mud which has penetrated into every opening. The axis is thick, and the E ales elongate. 

 cuneiform, with a subtruncate apex terminating in a short apiculus. The phyllotax; ..I 

 the scales in the cone, as seen on the portion of the axis, is that found m Cycadc . and 

 the thin, flat scale agrees in form with the antheriferous scale in the con, s of vnnous 



» the 





species of the genus Cycas. 

 The connexion of the male and female organs with Buckhndta has of cur*-, not 1-,-n 



established by the only absolutely certain evidence, the discovery of the vanous part 

 organically connected. It is seldom that the student of paheontolo,, ■ a 1 botetv »f* 



tunate enough to find the materials of his study so perfect He .s cons ,,p > oft 



compelled to establish distinct genera for the various parts of a plant whwh drfo, ta 

 each'other in form and appearance-as for roots, stem, branches, eave> nd . 

 fortunate, but very rare, discovery of a perfect specimen, sometimes en Ite h m to, a 



(M, fefa^lwri Jrfa, and to reduce the temporary genera; but n the great m..j0 



r detached parts, ana 10 leuuce w«> ~-i~ -. ° s|u(lv rf 



. he must be guided ^T^^^^Z^ «*»*»" , 



the living vegetable world when seeking to trace the relation , 



,« ™ beds, we have a plant which, in these x l 



n, from a 



found in the same beds 



he separated generically from Cycas. discovered of Buckkmdia, there 

 "From +ha nkoriAP of structure in all the specimens y „.;i.„ f i Tinl K ink* 



m the absence ol structure m ^ — ^ " ret i n of the mncilairinous juk* 



evidence as to the presence of cabals for ^J^ {B . amm laV*>.U* 



which is so abundant in the living Cycadee. • DUl " u '' » f ^ substance) that had eroded 

 tig. 3) preserves on its surface the casts of large drops ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ fo| _ ^ jn (1|| . 



and hardened, so as to mould the rock around them, ^ j( 



? u m> that, in this specimen, the interspaces between the scale 



mall scars 



uniform scales alternatin 



fruiting 



scales alternating with trne leaves; bat tne ^^ Qr BwW<IM , i( ,. 



casUy distinguish the stem of Micros from those g 



