L. F. Ward — Famous Fossil Cycad. 41 



cient fully to justify the suspicion expressed in the above- 

 quoted footnote, and it was clear that it stood on the somewhat 

 even face presented by the transverse fracture through the 

 middle of the trunk, while the much less even base, which, if 

 the specimen had been placed in its natural position, would 

 have required it to be supported by wedges or cement, was 

 uppermost and distinctly showed its character as such. Dr. 

 Johannes Victor Deichmiiller, Directorial Assistant, who, in 

 the temporary absence of the Director, was in charge of the 

 Museum, and to whom I announced the object of my visit, was 

 much interested in my account and kindly caused the specimen 

 to be placed on a table where I could thoroughly examine all 

 parts of it. I proceeded to describe it in my note-book, in 

 which I systematically recorded all the visible features in the 

 same manner as I have done for all the American trunks. As 

 the specimen is regarded as constituting a species, and does, 

 indeed, differ specifically from all others thus far known, these 

 notes upon it form an adequate basis for the specific descrip- 

 tion. Before dealing with the systematic part, however, it 

 will be of interest to give a somewhat detailed historical account 

 of the specimen. 



I. History and Literature. 



Desiring to learn the authentic history of the discovery of 

 this specimen and its removal to the Dresden Museum, I wrote 

 to Dr. Deichmiiller on my return to America, giving him such 

 bibliographical references as I was able to find and requesting 

 him to consult if possible the original publications. He was 

 successful in finding the most important of the early documents, 

 namely, the report of Christian Heinrich Eilenburg, who was 

 the Director of the Dresden Museum at the time this specimen 

 was acquired. It is printed in German and French and bears 

 the following title : 



Kiirzer Entwnrf der Koniglichen JSTaturalienkammer zu 

 Dresden. Dresden und Leipzig, in der Waltherischen Buch- 

 handlung, 1755. 



oder : 



Description du Cabinet royal cle Dresde touchant l'histoire 

 naturelle. A Dresde et a Leipzig, chez George Conrad 

 AYalther, libraire du roi, 1755. 



Dr. Deichmiiller had the great kindness to copy out of this 

 work and send me the following passages relating to the object 

 under consideration : 



" A large case in the sixth arcade contains petrifactions from 

 the vegetable kingdom, which always fixes the attention of con- 

 noisseurs. That which is most admired here is a magnificent 



