TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION K. 567 



(4) Sphagnum, in restricted areas, e.g., on Brookhouse Moss, formerly 

 occupying large tracts, the old lake-beds, as shown by the constitution of 

 the peat on Dane's Moss. 



Grassland Associations are represented by heath pastures of varying compo- 

 sition. In many cases these have been reclaimed by drainage or by burning the 

 heather. They are, as a rule, replaced by heather moors at an altitude of 800- 

 1,000 feet. On the whole, they are becoming more extensive, at the expense 

 of the ' mosses ' and moors. 



Woodland Associations. — These are less extensive than formerly, and are 

 chiefly represented in parks and large estates. In the hilly parts, they are 

 chiefly coniferous or mixed; in the lower parts, oak or birch, or both. 



(1) Finns sylvestris has been widely planted, and above the 1,000-foot 

 level is frequently associated with a heather-moor vegetation. Larch also 

 occurs in coniferous and mixed woods. 



(2) Betula alba occurs in plantations and natural woods, together with 

 larch, pine, oak, alder, &c, at low altitudes, and with oak, in stunted 

 woods, at higher elevations. In the former situations it generally has an 

 undergrowth of Ptcris aquilina; in the latter, of a more heath-like 

 character. 



(3) Oak-woods can be divided into two types : (i) Damp oak-woods, 

 of the oak-birch-ash type, occurring on the Plain and in the ravines. 

 Qucrcus robur is the dominant species, and the undergrowth contains 

 Epilobium hirsntum, Digitalis purpurea, Agrostis alba, and A. canina. 

 (ii) Dry oak-woods on summit ridges and similar exposed situations, e.g., 

 the grits of Congleton Edge. Quercus robur is here accompanied by much 

 Q. sessilifiora, and the undergrowth consists of Ptcris aquilina, V accinium 

 Myrtillus, Aira flexuosa. 



Aquatic Associations present a considerable number of species, and are : 

 (1) Rooted with submerged or floating leaves; (2) Reed marsh; (3) Marginal 

 plants. 



Pasturage. — There is a high percentage of land under permanent grass, the 

 clayey loams being too heavy for wheat. The heavy rainfall favours the growth 

 of grasses, which, with their accompanying plants, form an interesting study. 

 Agriculture occupies a subordinate place in the district, though a good yield 

 is obtained for root crops. 



FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1. 

 The following Papers were read : — 



1. The Structure and Development of the Ovule of Bowenia spectabilis. 

 By Miss E. M. Kershaw, M.Se. 



The development of the ovule agrees on tho whole with that described for 

 other genera of Cycads. Certain points in the study of the Cycadean ovule 

 appear to require moi'e critical consideration for the purpose of comparison 

 with the fossil seeds. The pollen-chamber of Bowenia forms by the breaking 

 down of a strand of elongated cells which extend from the tip of the nucellus 

 almost to the megaspore. First a small cavity, the upper pollen-chamber, forms 

 in the narrow apex of the nucellus, and this probably accommodates the pollen 

 when it enters the ovule. The nucellar tissue below gradually breaks down, 

 forming a more capacious cavity, the lower pollen-chamber, into which the 

 pollen grains pass from the upper pollen-chamber. The upper and lower pollen- 

 chamber thus correspond in function to the ' lagenostome ' and ' plinth ' of 

 such fossil seeds as Conostoma. They are, however, much less specialised and 

 altogether simpler than the corresponding structures in the seeds of the 

 Lagenostomales, and appear to be more comparable with seeds of the Trigono- 

 carpus affinity. 



