612 Edwards . — Fossil Coniferous Wood from Kerguelen Island . 
The field pitting (see Text-fig. i) is rarely distinguishable, and when 
preserved is sometimes similar to that figured by Stopes in C. luccombense 
(Stopes, 1915, p. 183, Fig. 52) and by Seward in C. orientale (1912, PL V, 
Figs. 73, 75). In all three cases the irregular appearance of the field pitting 
is probably due to partial decay and enlargement of the original pits. In 
Slide V. 13615 d (see Text-fig. 1, B) from one to three small roundish or 
oval and apparently simple pits can be seen at one point. Some of these 
pits are obliquely placed and narrowly elliptical, but it is difficult to distin- 
guish a border, perhaps owing to decay before preservation. This pitting 
is somewhat like the ‘ podocarpoid 5 type (Gothan, 1905, p. 48) and perhaps 
the Kerguelen species may belong to Podocarpoxylon. It is, however, 
impossible to make exact comparisons with living species, or to define the 
Text-fig. i. Cupressinoxylon cmtarcticum. Radial longitudinal sections, showing field pitting 
of the medullary rays. A, Slide V. 10291. B, Slide V. 13615 d. 
precise position of this fossil, which is best included in the genus Ctipressino- 
xylon , using the term in a wide sense. 
The field pitting in Beust’s wood was apparently fairly well preserved, 
and in some of his figures (Beust, 1884, PI. IV, Fig. 7) the pore seems to be 
obliquely placed, thus showing an approach to the podocarpoid type. 
Krausel (1919, p. 2c 6) thinks that it may belong to the Juniperus group 
(. Fitzroya? ), but Beust’s figures scarcely warrant this conclusion. I have 
seen no trace of Juniperus pitting in the present material, though the state 
of the wood precludes one from being absolutely certain of its absence. 
Among the few known examples of Cupressinoxylon from the southern 
hemisphere, reference must be made to C. Hookeri , Arber (1904). On the 
ground of Arber’s description of ‘ a small simple pit on the radial walls ’ 
this species was referred by Gothan (1908, p. 7) to Podocarpoxylon , and 
Seward (1919, p. 211), stating that 4 in some places a single fairly large 
