8 



"the morphology of Conifers requires a thorough knowledge of all their 

 groups with respect to external structure, anatomy, development history, 

 and teratology which often shows various steps of progressive and retro- 

 gressive metamorphoses. 



The valuable studies hitherto made hy various authors with respect 

 to the morphology of Conifers are mostly on the Araucariacecs, es- 

 pecially the Abietinece ; and the general views deduced chiefly from 

 the results of investigation on this division of Conifers have been 

 extended to the other division, the Taxacece, with the least possible 

 modification, So it is natural that there are some erroneous inter- 

 pretations. 



To deduce the general principles governing the morphology of both 

 divisions of Conifers, deviating, as they do, much in their structure, 

 many genera of each division must be first thoroughly studied, and the 

 results of the studies must be tabulated and compared, in a manner 

 similar to that of the meteorologist who determines the direction of the 

 wind by graphically representing and comparing the atmospheric con- 

 ditions of different stations. Only the general principles deduced in such 

 a way, that is, not merely conjectural or arbitrary, but based on ascer- 

 tained facts, are reliable. 



I hope the present note of the results of my observations may 

 contribute on one hand some of the ascertained facts necessary for the 

 establishment of the general principles in the morphology of Conifers, 

 and on the other a review of the opinions hitherto held on the morphol- 

 ogy of the flowers of Ginkgo. 



(To be continued.) 



