﻿^°1* 
  53'] 
  MR 
  * 
  A 
  * 
  C> 
  SEWARD 
  ON 
  CYCADEOIDEA 
  GIGANTEA. 
  39 
  

  

  afforded 
  a 
  minute 
  but 
  important 
  character, 
  strongly 
  indicating 
  

   Bennettitean 
  affinities. 
  Possibly 
  the 
  small 
  lateral 
  bud 
  described 
  by 
  

   the 
  Author 
  might 
  have 
  been 
  an 
  abortive 
  fructification. 
  

  

  The 
  preservation 
  of 
  histological 
  structure 
  in 
  the 
  external 
  tissues, 
  

   -as 
  demonstrated 
  by 
  the 
  Author, 
  was 
  astonishingly 
  perfect, 
  and 
  had 
  

   rarely 
  been 
  equalled 
  in 
  fossil 
  plants. 
  As 
  regards 
  the 
  branching 
  of 
  

   recent 
  Cycadess, 
  it 
  was 
  well 
  known 
  that 
  many 
  of 
  them 
  branched 
  

   far 
  more 
  freely 
  in 
  nature 
  than 
  when 
  cultivated 
  in 
  our 
  hot- 
  

   houses. 
  

  

  Prof. 
  Tate 
  intimated 
  that 
  Australia 
  might 
  be 
  thought 
  to 
  offer 
  a 
  

   field 
  of 
  investigation 
  in 
  the 
  evolution 
  of 
  the 
  Cycadeae, 
  but 
  unhappily 
  

   no 
  such 
  plants 
  (at 
  least 
  none 
  acceptable 
  to 
  the 
  botanist) 
  occur 
  in 
  the 
  

   Kainozoic 
  strata, 
  which 
  contain 
  at 
  various 
  horizons 
  extensive 
  

   terrestrial 
  formations. 
  Prom 
  field-observations 
  on 
  some 
  Australian 
  

   species 
  of 
  Encephcdartos, 
  notably 
  E. 
  Macdonnelli, 
  he 
  could 
  not 
  concur 
  

   with 
  the 
  statement 
  that 
  the 
  trunk 
  was 
  subject 
  to 
  furcation. 
  

  

  Prof. 
  Seelet 
  stated 
  that 
  he 
  had 
  examined 
  specimens 
  of 
  Cycad 
  

   stems 
  in 
  the 
  Isle 
  of 
  Portland 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  Wealden 
  Beds, 
  and 
  one 
  

   specimen 
  from 
  the 
  Potton 
  Beds, 
  which 
  appear 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  vertical, 
  

   and 
  were 
  all 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  ovate 
  in 
  section 
  ; 
  but 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  conclusive 
  

   evidence 
  of 
  the 
  cause 
  of 
  the 
  external 
  form. 
  

  

  Dr. 
  Woodward 
  referred 
  to 
  the 
  interesting 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  new 
  

   Oycadeoidea 
  gigantea 
  came 
  from 
  a 
  higher 
  level 
  than 
  the 
  old 
  historical 
  

   Dirt-bed 
  described 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Buckland. 
  It 
  is 
  interesting 
  as 
  suggesting 
  

   the 
  persistence 
  for 
  a 
  long 
  period 
  of 
  land-conditions 
  — 
  a 
  point 
  of 
  great 
  

   interest 
  to 
  geologists. 
  He 
  bore 
  testimony 
  to 
  the 
  beauty 
  of 
  the 
  

   photographs 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  Author. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Whitaker 
  also 
  spoke. 
  

  

  The 
  Author 
  expressed 
  his 
  thanks 
  to 
  the 
  Pellows 
  of 
  the 
  Society 
  for 
  

   the 
  reception 
  accorded 
  to 
  his 
  paper. 
  He 
  did 
  not 
  wish 
  to 
  give 
  too 
  

   great 
  prominence 
  to 
  the 
  negative 
  evidence 
  as 
  regards 
  the 
  position 
  of 
  

   the 
  inflorescence, 
  and 
  admitted 
  the 
  possibility 
  that 
  the 
  small 
  bud 
  

   found 
  on 
  the 
  stem 
  might 
  be 
  an 
  aborted 
  fertile 
  shoot. 
  He 
  mentioned 
  

   instances 
  of 
  branching 
  Cycadean 
  stems 
  in 
  the 
  tropical 
  house 
  at 
  Kew. 
  

   There 
  was 
  no 
  evidence, 
  he 
  believed, 
  of 
  the 
  occurrence 
  of 
  Bennettites 
  

   in 
  English 
  rocks 
  in 
  an 
  erect 
  position 
  with 
  an 
  elliptical 
  stem, 
  and 
  

   therefore 
  he 
  did 
  not 
  feel 
  disposed 
  to 
  attach 
  much 
  importance 
  to 
  the 
  

   shape 
  of 
  the 
  stem 
  as 
  a 
  generic 
  character. 
  In 
  conclusion, 
  the 
  Author 
  

   referred 
  to 
  his 
  indebtedness 
  to 
  Mr. 
  Gepp, 
  of 
  the 
  British 
  Museum, 
  for 
  

   the 
  excellent 
  photographs 
  taken 
  of 
  the 
  Portland 
  fossil. 
  

  

  