52 L. F. Ward — Famous Fossil Cycad. 



It is greatly to be hoped that Count Solms may be induced 

 to return to this subject and to investigate thoroughly the cele- 

 brated Dresden cycad from the standpoint of its internal 

 structure and its botanical affinities. 



As the specimen has thus far always been figured inverted, I 

 have undertaken in the figure on the preceding page to show it 

 standing on its base. But haying nothing but the reproduction 

 of the photograph sent me by Geinitz, all that can be done is to 

 invert this and reproduce it again. I have already stated that as 

 it stands on the support in the Dresden Museum it leans somewhat 

 on account of the fracture being slightly oblique to the axis. This 

 it is sought to remedy also, and the present figure shows it erect 

 with the scars horizontal and their acute angle downwards, as 

 it undoubtedly grew. As the light was from above in the 

 photograph it is of course from below in this figure, but this 

 mechanical defect is less pronounced than it would be in most 

 cases. 



