190 PROP. W. C. WILLIAMSON ON THE 



either not cones of any kind^ or are those of Cycadean 

 plants. At present the only remains which present a 

 claim to Coniferous rank found in the Palaeozoic rocks 

 are the Dadoxylons ; and even of these^ assuming that, 

 as is most probable^ they are Coniferous stems and not 

 Cycadean^ their affinities appear to be with the Taxinese, 

 rather than with the more highly developed Abietinese. 

 Of the latter we discover no indisputable examples until 

 we approach the base of the Cretaceous rocks ^. Mr. 

 Carruthers has expressed his conviction that no truly 

 Coniferous cone has been found below the Kimmeridge 

 clay. 



For evidence of the occurrence of true Coniferous cones 

 in rocks of Mesozoic age^ we are mainly indebted to 

 Lindley and Hutton, Dr. ritton_, Dr. Mantell^ and Mr. 

 Carruthers. 



In a memoir published by the last-named author in 

 vol. iii. p. 534 of the ^Geological Magazine/ he reviewed 

 those previously described by other observers, and added 

 some new ones. Mr. Carruthers also described additional 

 ones in vols. vi. and viii. of the same Magazine. 



One of the most interesting of the cones thus recorded 

 it that figured by Lindley and Hutton in vol. ii. plate 137 

 of the ' Fossil Flora of Great Britain/ under the name of 

 Abies oblong a. The interest of this specimen resides in the 

 fact that, in it, the large seeds are all preserved in their 

 normal positions in the cone. 



A few weeks ago Professor Boyd-Dawkins showed me 

 the half of a waterworn siliciiied cone, cut through longi- 

 tudinally, which had been submitted to him by the Rev. 

 H. H. Winwood, F.G.S., of Bath, but was the property of a 

 Miss Flood. Mr. Winwood has since entrusted this spe- 



* The Pmus primava of Lindley & Hutton, fi-om the Inferior Oolite, is 

 in all probability a Cycadean cone. 



