160 REPORT-— 1875. 



the pollen-brains, since he found within it, in several instances, small foreign 

 hodies which bore a close resemblance to true pollen-grains. The author has dis- 

 covered seven similar though distinct species of seeds in the lower Coal-measures of 

 Lancashire and Burntisland. These seeds he described in detail. The most striking 

 of tliem is one to which he has assigned the name of Lagenostoma oviformis. This 

 is a small suboval seed, containing an almost spherical nucleus. Its external 

 covering consists of a hard dense cellular testa. This has had an opening in it 

 corresponding to the exostome of an ordinaiy seed, and which constituted the orifice 

 of a flask-shaped cavity, having a short narrow neck, and the base of which rested 

 in its normal state upon the upper extremity of the nucleus. This " lagenostome," 

 as the author proposes to designate the cavity, is bounded by a bottle-shaped 

 membrane composed of a single layer of short prosenchymatous cells, and contained 

 a central mass of small delicate parenchymatous cells, which appear to have entirely 

 tilled the cavity when the seed existed as an o\Tjle. This lagenostome is enclosed 

 within a second and denser membrane, also composed of prosenchymatous cells, 

 but of larger size than those constituting the membrane of the lagenostome. The 

 outer investment hangs down from the inner margin of the micropyle like a fes- 

 tooned tent, and becomes merged at its lower margin, as is also the case with the 

 lagenostnmal membrane, with a verj' especial membrane enclosing the nucleus. 

 On making transverse sections of this part of the seed, the tent-like membrane just 

 described is seen to exhibit ten crenated curves, the concavities of which are 

 directed outwards. Between these conca'S'ities and the external testa a delicate but 

 large-celled parenchyma seems to have formed a feeble bond of union between the 

 two, whilst in the centre of the circle of which each crenulation is a portion is a 

 black speck, which has either formed an intercellular canal or a pillar of cellular 

 tissue more dense than that surrounding it. The crenulated curves referred to have 

 coiTesponded with the undulation in the wall of the lagenostome. In two examples 

 the interior of the latter organ contained several small bodies in close contact with 

 the nucleus, and which exhibited every appearance of being pollen-grains. The 

 nucleus itself is enclosed in a thin special membrane, full of small angular spaces, 

 which look as if they had been occupied by crystals. 



To a second similar, yet very distinct seed, the author has assigned the name of 

 Physostoma eler/ans. In it the apical extremity of the nucleus contracts into a 

 mammillated projection, which appears to be pushed up into the base of the lageno- 

 stome, which thus looks like a bladder half full of fluid resting upon and overhanging 

 the end of a soda-water bottle. In this seed the lagenostome and nucleus are 

 further enclosed in a special uniform prosenchymatous layer of some thickness, and 

 which in all probability was again invested by some exotesta that is not preserved 

 in tlie solitary seed of this species hitherto met with. 



Another species of seed the author designates Cmiostoina ; and a fourth, of a some- 

 what similar type, was obtained from Burntisland. 



A fifth species constitutes a very distinct type, having a dense parenchymatous 

 exotesta, which has obviously been like that of the Salkhuria — i. e. capable of 

 drying and shrinking, and thus giving to the section of it an irregular outline. To this 

 seed the author gives the name of Mnlaaitesta oblotiffa. Some remarkably tine speci- 

 mens of Cardiocarpon were also 'shown, exhibiting a central subconical nucleus, 

 each lateral margin of which swelled out into a rounded and prominent moulding. 

 This was enclosed by a delicate cellular endotesta and a much denser exotesta, both 

 of which were prolonged superiorly into a long slender beak-like appendage con- 

 taining the micropyle. A remarkable featiu'e of this seed was the large size of the 

 cells of the nuclear parenchyma. Like the Triffonocarpon, to some peculiarities in 

 the structure of which the author directed attention, all these seeds have obviously 

 been gymnospermous ; and, from a recent communication presented by M. Brong- 

 niart to the Academy of Paris, there is reason to believe that all the seeds possessing 

 a lagenostome may have been Cycadean. 



