4 
Reports & Proceedings—Geological Socrety of London. 381 
The paper is presented in two parts: (1) the description of the new 
species; (2) the full description of the vegetative anatomy as well as 
fructifications of Bennettites maximus, Carruthers. Both specimens 
are well petrified, yielding excellent microscopic sections. 
(1) The ovulate cone of the new species was procured by 
Mr. G. Walton, of Folkestone, and sent to the author among several 
other Gault ‘woods’. It appears to have been relatively immense in 
comparison with other known cones of the group, having a diameter 
of 70mm. or more, and 600 or more seeds in a single transverse | 
section. The seeds are five-ribbed, very small (1°2 mm. diameter), 
fitting into interseminal scales which completely fused to form a hard 
external ‘shell’ to the complex fruit. The interseminal scales are 
better preserved than in other species and had a peculiar external 
‘plastid’ layer. The various layers of the seed coverings reveal more 
exact details than are known for other species. Restorations showing 
the peculiar investing ‘ cupule’ of the seed and also its diagrammatic 
section are given. 
(2) B. maximus, Carruthers, is chiefly interesting as having 
bisporangiate cones. These are the first such cones discovered in 
this country, and are interesting in showing ovules at a very early 
stage in their development, not hitherto described. The peduncle is 
large, but the fertile part of the cone so small that it is cut in only 
one section in the series through the cone. The ovules are in an 
early meristematic state. A restoration is given showing the 
proportions of the parts and how they differ from more mature cones. 
The species differ from all other Bennettites in its vegetative anatomy, 
in having curious pitted ‘transfusion ’ cells in pith, cortex, and leaf- 
bases, and in the peduncle and bract scales, and in appearing to be 
without the ‘gum canals’ prevalent in every other member of the 
family. 
I7.—Geronoceicat Socrnty or Lonpon. 
June 28, 1916.—Dr. Alfred Harker, F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 
The following communications were read :— 
1. ‘‘On a new species of Hdestus from the Upper Carboniferous 
of Yorkshire.” By A. Smith Woodward, LL.D., F-R.S., V.P.G.S. 
With a Geological Appendix, by John Pringle, F.G.S. 
The new fossil described confirms the interpretation of Hdestus as 
a row of symphysial teeth of an Elasmobranch fish. The row of 
eight bilaterally symmetrical teeth, fused together, ovcurs at the 
tapering end of a pair of calcified cartilages, which evidently represent 
ajaw. An imperfect detached tooth probably belongs to an opposing 
row. All the teeth are unusually large compared with their base, 
and the serrated edges of most of them have clearly been worn during 
life. As in the case of the American Carboniferous Hdestus mirus, 
small Orodont teeth of the form named Campodus are scattered in the 
shale near the jaw. Markings on the Hdestus teeth themselves 
suggest that they have been derived from the Campodus type of 
