Botany.] 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
.559 
In 1807, a memoir on this subject, by Mr. Salisbury, was 
published * * * § , in which an account of structure is given, in 
no important particular different from that of Trew and 
Schkuhr, with whose observations he appears to have been 
unacquainted. 
M. Mirbel, in 1809 f, held the same opinion, both with 
respect to Pinus and to the whole natural family. But in 
1812, in conjunction with M. SchoubertJ, he proposed a 
very different view of the structure of Cycadeae and Coni- 
ferge, stating, that in their female flowers there is not only a 
minute cohering perianthium present, but an external addi- 
tional envelope, to which he has given the name of cupula. 
In 1814 I adopted this view, as far, at least, as regards 
the manner of impregnation, and stated some facts in sup- 
port of it§. But on re-considering the subject, in con- 
nexion with what I had ascertained respecting the vegetable 
ovulum, I soon after altogether abandoned this opinion, 
without, however, venturing explicitly to state that now 
advanced, and which had then suggested itself!]. 
It is well known that the late M. Richard had prepared a 
very valuable memoir on these two families of plants ; and 
he appears, from some observations lately published by his 
son, M. Achille Richard 5F, to have formed an opinion re- 
specting their structure somewhat different from that of M. 
Mirbel, whose cupula is, according to him, the perianthium, 
more or less cohering with the included pistillum. He 
was probably led to this view, on ascertaining, which I had 
* Linn. Soc. Transact. \\i\. p. SOS. 
•i* Ann. du Mas. d'Hist, Nat. tom. xv. p. 473. 
$ Nouv. Bulletin des JSc. tom. iii. pp. 73, 85, et 121. 
§ Flinders's Voy. ii. 572. 
II Tuckey’s Congo, p. 454. et Linn. Soc. Transact, vol. xiii. 
p. 213. 
H Diet. Class. d'Hist. Nat. tom. iv. p. 395. ef tom. v. p. 216. 
