6 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



strobili — measuring about 10 mm. in length, and 8 or 

 9 mm. in diameter. These young cones are borne upon 

 short, thick stalks, these latter being reflexed to an angle 

 of about 45° with the axis of the branch bearing them, 

 thereby inverting the cones and thus giving them pro- 

 tection against wet. Occasionally a cone may be found 

 the stalk of which has not reflexed, being almost or quite 

 upright; such an one will, on examination, prove to be 

 but sparsely pollinated, or to have escaped that act 

 altogether. At the base of the annual shoot bearing these 

 buds and small cones will be found the large, unopened, 

 fully developed seed-bearing cones ; these vary con- 

 siderably in form and size; some are almost globular, 

 others somewhat barrel-shaped, the greater number, 

 however, have semicircular bases, thence tapering away 

 to a more or less blunt point. Intermediate forms are 

 numerous. The globular form is the shortest, varying 

 from 25 mm. to 40 mm. in length ; those of taper form are 

 longest, varying from 45 mm. to 55 mm. in length ; cones 

 60 mm. long, and even longer are occasionally found. 



As might be expected, these various forms and 

 dimensions of the mature cones are to some extent 

 modified by the number of sound seeds they contain, 

 prolific cones being rounder in outline, and of larger 

 diameter than those bearing but few or no seeds. At the 

 base of the next annual growth may usually be found one 

 or more open cones from which the seeds have been shed. 



Here it may be well to note that the extent of each 

 year's growth is permanently recorded, the amount being 

 marked by the distance between each set of the lateral 

 branches. The extent of this growth is dependent upon 

 the character of the seasons, the nature of the soil, and 

 upon the age of the tree. In the woods at Storeton, during 

 the Autumn of 1903, I measured on one hundred and 



