44 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [JULY 
pollination and fertilization, yet there is no break in the continuity 
of development, such as probably occurs in those temperate conifers 
which are pollinated in one season and fertilized in the next. It is 
further interesting to notice that there are absolutely no fixed periods, 
so far as the writer can judge, when definite stages may be found. It 
may be not out of place to observe that these facts have made the 
working out of the life history very much more difficult than would 
otherwise have been the case, which must be the excuse for the gaps 
which still remain in the present account. 
At the time of writing (November 1909), complete data are not 
available, but cones known to have been pollinated in January (or 
possibly early in February) of the present year are still far from ready 
for fertilization. They are still under observation and may probably 
be fertilized by the time this paper finally goes to press, in which case 
a postscript will be added. 
Very young female cones may be found at any time, but soon die 
off unless pollinated. The time of appearance of the male cones is" q 
very variable. During the present year the writer has failed to find 
a single male cone, except in the early part of January. Nevertheless, 
recently pollinated ovules were collected at the end of June, so that 
there probably must have been male cones in the vicinity during May. 
During 1908, male cones were collected in April and again in 
May (mature in both cases and separated by a full four weeks). 
A large number of trees were examined frequently and carefully 
during those months in 1909, without a single male cone being found. 
The following field notes of the different aged cones met with at one 
time and in one clump of trees may be of interest. About March 1 
the following female cones were found: (1) very young; scales still 
widely open; pollinated (probably about one month previously); 
(2) medium size; still quite green; ovules with well-developed 
embryo sac; (3) full grown, brown, but with junction lines of scales 
still green; ovules with full-size embryo sac but no trace of cell for- 
mation; (4) full grown, uniformly light brown; integument discol- 
ored; young embryos; (5) dark brown, showing signs of dehiscence; 
mature seeds. It was afterward found that (3) could be segregated 
into two separate batches, in one of which fertilization took place 
about the end of April, in the other about the middle of September. 
