﻿Vol. 6 1.] SPORANGIUM-LIKE ORGANS OF GLOSSOPTERIS. 329 



the inner surface, as is shown by the shape and concave surface, 

 as well as by the much less prominent character of the cell-walls. 



Unfortunately, no trustworthy evidence can be obtained as to the 

 contents of these sacs. In cases where the splitting appears to 

 have just begun, a solid mass of grey material projects (PI. XXX, 

 fig. 2 «), but the nature of the contents cannot be distinguished. 

 In other examples (PI. XXXI, fig. 1) a few very minute bodies, 

 dissimilar to the matrix of the rock, can be seen on the inner 

 surface of the fully-opened sacs, but these afford no evidence of 

 any value on this point. 



IV. The Evidence for the Attribution oe the Sporangium-like 

 Organs to Glossopteris. 



There would seem to be little doubt that these sporangium-like 

 organs belong to Glossopteris Browniana, although the evidence 

 is, in part, indirect. These sac-like bodies have never been 

 observed, except in close relationship to the scale-leaves of Glosso- 

 pteris. The fact that specimens, which do not show the scale- 

 fronds, are also wanting in respect to these retort-like sacs is 

 especially significant, and argues a connection between these two 

 organs. Examples of the scale-fronds are comparatively rare, both 

 at the British Museum and at Cambridge, and are probably not very 

 abundant, at present, in any foreign collection. This fact probably 

 explains why these sporangium-like organs have remained un- 

 observed until the present day, although many authors (including 

 Bunbury, Feistmantel, Zeiller, and others) have closely studied the 

 larger fronds of this genus, with the view of obtaining evidence as 

 to the fructification of Glossopteris. I have, myself, recently had 

 occasion to examine carefully the considerable collections of the 

 larger fronds in the British and Sedgwick Museums, which include 

 the best examples in this country, but I have not, in any single 

 instance, observed these sac-like bodies on specimens which do not 

 also show scale-leaves in close proximity. 



As a further test of the value of this evidence, I asked Prof. 

 Zeiller to search for these organs among the specimens of Glosso- 

 pteris from the Transvaal, which he described in 1896. This he 

 very kindly undertook to do, and was successful in finding an 

 example, which again occurred in close proximity to a scale-leaf. 1 

 I may here express my thanks to him for his kindness in this 

 matter. 



The evidence, detailed above, is admittedly of a negative 

 nature, but it is now recognized that, as such, it is not without 

 weight, when based on a sufficiently-large number of observations. 

 In addition, there is also some direct evidence to be gained from 

 these specimens. It has been already pointed out that, in a few 

 cases, none of which perhaps are so conclusive as one could wish, 



1 The sac in question occurs on the left-hand border of the scale-leaf figured 

 by Prof. Zeiller, (96 1 ) pi. xvi, figs. 13 & 13 a. 



