2 Lawson . — The Gametophytes , Fertilization and 
a detailed history of the gametophytes of all living forms seems quite 
necessary if we hope to build up a phylogeny of the Coniferales and their 
various sub-groups. 
The present investigation is intended as a contribution to our knowledge 
of the Taxeae. It was undertaken with the idea of giving a complete 
account of the development of the gametophytes and embryonal sporo- 
phyte of Cephalotaxus. It thus fills in many of the gaps left by Sokolowa 
(' 91 ), Strasburger (’ 79 ), and Arnoldi (’00), who have contributed fragmentary 
but valuable information concerning the gametophytes of this interesting 
genus. The work was commenced in the spring of 1903 but was delayed 
in its completion on account of the scarcity of material. The greater part 
of the work was carried on in the Botanical Laboratory of Stanford 
University, California, but it was finished in the Jodrell Laboratory at Kew 
Gardens. 
I take this opportunity of expressing my gratitude to Lieut.-Col. Prain, 
C.I.E., F.R.S., Director of the Royal Gardens, Kew, and to Dr. D. H. Scott, 
F.R.S., Honorary Keeper of the Jodrell Laboratory, who kindly extended 
to me the privileges of the Jodrell Laboratory, and thus made the com- 
pletion of the work possible. To Mr. L. A. Boodle, F.L.S., also I wish to 
express my sincere thanks. Upon my arrival at Kew Gardens I found 
that Mr. Boodle had commenced an investigation upon the gametophytes 
of Cephalotaxtis Fortunei and C. drupacea , and had collected and prepared 
considerable material for this purpose. Upon learning that my investigation 
was so near completion, both as regards drawings and text, Mr. Boodle 
kindly invited me to compare some of his excellent preparations with my 
own. The result of this comparison was very gratifying, for it helped to 
confirm several important interpretations which might otherwise have 
remained in doubt. 
Methods. 
The material for this investigation was obtained from three small 
shrubs growing on the campus of Stanford University, California. I began 
to make collections early in March, 1903, and continued to prepare material 
at short intervals, as long as time and the supply of material permitted, 
until the spring of the present year. There was not an abundance of fruit 
formed on the shrubs and I therefore thought it best to sacrifice the early 
stages of the female gametophyte in order to have enough specimens for 
investigating the later phases. I hope in the near future to trace out the 
formation of the megaspores and related structures. 
For those who are investigating the cytology of the Gymnosperms 
I should like to emphasize the importance of fixing the material in the 
field or, when that is impossible, to otherwise provide against evaporation. 
With such critical stages as the division of the body- cell, the organization 
