no THE HISTORY OF CREATION. 



of the Palifn Ferns (Zamise, or Cycadese) stands at the lowest 

 stage, and is directly allied to ferns, as the name implies, 

 so that some botanists have actually included them 

 in the fern group. In their external form they resemble 

 palms, as well as tree ferns (or tree-like frond ferns), and 

 are adorned by a crown of feathery leaves, which is placed 

 either on a thick, short trunk, or on a slender, simple 

 trunk like a pillar. At the present day this class, once so 

 rich in forms, is but scantily represented by a few forms 

 living in the torrid zones, namely, by the coniferous 

 ferns (Zamia), the thick-trunked bread-tree (Encephalartos), 

 and the slender-trunked Caffir bread-tree (Cycas). They 

 may frequently be seen in hot-houses, and are generally 

 mistaken for pahns. A much greater variety of forms than 

 occurs among the stiU existing palm ferns (Cycadese) is pre- 

 sented by the extinct and fossil Cycads, which occurred in 

 great numbers more towards the middle of the secondary 

 period, during the Jura, and which at that time principally 

 determined the character of the forests. 



The class of Pines, or coniferous trees (Coniferse), has pre- 

 served down to our day a greater variety of forms than have 

 the palm ferns. Even at the present time the trees belonging 

 to it — cypresses, juniper trees, and trees of life (Thuja), the 

 box and ginko trees (Salisburya), the araucaria and cedars, 

 but above all the genus Pinus, which is so rich in forms, 

 with its numerous and important species, spruces, pines, firs, 

 larches, etc. — stiU play a very important part in the most 

 different parts of the earth, and almost of themselves consti- 

 tute extensive forests. Yet this development of pines seems 

 but weak in comparison with the predominance which the 

 class had attained over other plants during the early 



