THE 



CANADIAN RECORD 



OF SCIENCE. 



VOL. IV. JANUARY, 1890. NO. 7*"*****^ 



On New Plants from the Erian and Carbonif- 

 erous, AND ON THE CHARACTERS AND 



Affinities of Paleozoic G-ymnosperms. 



By Sir J. William Dawson, L.L.D., F.R.S. 



In Paheo-botany it often haj)pens that some specimen 

 recently discovered opens up a multitude of new questions 

 respecting former acquisitions. A noteworthy instance of 

 this in my recent experience, h*>s been the kind communica- 

 tion to me by Mr. E. D Lacoe of Pittston, Pennsylvania, of 

 some specimens of Palaeozoic Grymnosperms obtained by him 

 in the Catskill and Carboniferous of Pennsylvania. One of 

 these is a large slab containing a leafy and fruit-bearing 

 branch or stem of a new plant allied to Cordaitese on the one 

 hand and to Noeggerathise on the other, and remarkable 

 for its exhibiting in connection parts usually found separ- 

 ately. Another is a set of specimens of certain peculiar 

 organs of fructification referred by European palseo-botanists 

 to the genus Dolerophyllum, allied to Nmggerathia, and which 

 have not, so far as I am aware, been previously found in 

 America. About the same time Mr. Francis Bain, of North 

 Eiver, Prince Edward Island, had placed in my hands some 



