Sternhergict. 303 



have not seen a longitudinal section of this fossil, but should ex- 

 pect it to present a transverse structure of the sternbergia type. 

 The first specimen described by Prof. Williamson represents a se- 

 cond variety, in which the transverse structure is developed in the 

 central part of the pith, but not at the sides. In my Pictou spe- 

 cimen the pith has wholly disappeared, with the exception of the 

 denser outer coating and transverse plates. All these are dis- 

 tinctly coniferous, and the difi"erences that appear may be due 

 merely to age, or more or less rapid growth. 



Other specimens of sternbergia want the internal partitions, 

 which may, however, have been removed by decay ; and these 

 often retain very imperfect traces, or none, of the investing wood. 

 In the case of those which retain any portion of the wood, suffi- 

 cient to render probable their coniferous character, the surface- 

 markings are similar in character to those of my Pictou speci- 

 men, but often vary greatly in their dimensions, some having fine 

 transverse wrinkles, others having these wide and coarse. Of 

 those specimens which retain no wood, but only a thin coaly in- 

 vestment representing the outer pith, many cannot be distinguish^ 

 ed by their superficial markings from those that are known to be 

 coniferous, and they occasionally afford evidence that we must 

 not attach too much importance to the character of their mark- 

 ings. A very instructive specimen of this kind from Ohio, with 

 which I have been favoured by Prof. Newberry, has in a portion 

 of its thicker end very fine transverse wrinkles, and in the re- 

 mainder of the specimen much coarser wrinkles. This difference 

 marks, perhaps, the various rates of growth in successive seasons, 

 or the change of the character of the pith in older portions of the 

 stem. 



I have not been so fortunate as to find any of the Sternbergia 

 or Artisia casts associated with the wood of plants allied to Lepi- 

 dodendron, as observed by M. Corda. The re are, however, in 

 the collection of Prof. Newberry, as well as in my own, speci- 

 mens which present very considerable differences in their external 

 characters from those of the varieties known to have been coni- 

 ferous, and which may be the axes of such plants. 



The state of preservation of the Sternbergia casts in reference 

 to the woody matter which surrounded them, presents, in a geo- 

 logical point of view, many interesting features. Prof. William- 

 son's specimen I suppose to be unique in its showing all the tis- 

 sues of the branch or trunk in a good state of preservation. More 



