190 Dr Dickson on some of the Stages of Development 
As regards determining the relations between the “ scale” 
and pistil, it is unfortunate that I obtained no cones sufficiently 
young to allow of tracing the floral rudiment to its first origin. 
When, however, we review the phases in the development of 
the scale, and take note of the manifestly determinate or “ basi- 
petal” character of its evolution ; when, in running the eye 
back upon the different stages, we find the basal portion be- 
coming rapidly shorter, while the terminal portion remains 
comparatively stationary, until we find the attachment of the 
floral rudiment only ;>th of an inch from the base of the 
scale, I think we may confidently expect a still earlier con- 
dition in which the mammilla will be found to be actually at 
the base of the bract-scale, in the position of axillary bud. Add 
to this, the extreme improbability that a structure such as I 
have described in the female flower should be developed, ab 
origine, from a leaf, which the bract-scale certainly is, and 
the truth of the theory which I proposed as to a connation 
between the bract-scale and the peduncle of the flower, may 
be considered as virtually proved. 
Description of Plate. 
Fig. 1. Bract (or) from young cone of Dammara australis; with floral rudi- 
ment (m) close to its base. 
2. Base of the same, more highly magnified, showing the floral mam- 
milla (mm). 
3. Flower further advanced, showing the carpellary elevations (cc) on 
either side of the apex of the mammilla (ov), and which are almost 
free from one another at their bases. 
4, A similar flower looked at towards the apex; cc, the two semilunar 
carpellary elevations, embracing the termination of the mammilla 
or ovule (ov). 
5 and 6. A still further developed flower seen from the same points of 
view as the preceding. The carpel (c) are now very manifestly 
connected by their bases, and the ovule (ov) is more distinctly 
marked. 
7. Young cone (natural size), whence the flowers represented in Figs. 5 
and 6 were taken; (a), (b), (c), and (d), bud-scales, showing the 
transition between these and the “ scales” of the cone. 
8. Flower considerably further advanced than the preceding (its length 
being rather more than double of that represented in fig. 5). The 
ovule (‘ nucleus ”) (ov) is still exposed to a relatively great extent 
