at the Linnean Society. 145 
as Dr. Scott had pointed out, and in the reproductive organs 
other primitive features had been recently found. There was 
the gradual transition from vegetative leaves to the sporophylls 
in the Araucarian cone. The sporophylls were green in colour 
like the foliage leaves. The pith increased in the Araucarian 
cones, both male and female, again relating them to the. 
Cordaitete. The number of microsporangia was large and indefinite. 
Their structure was peculiar in the fact that they had a diffuse 
annulus and a well-defined stomium. The wall was as much as 
seven or eight cells in thickness and had resin-ducts giving a hint 
of synangial origin, the microsporangia being surrounded by tissues 
similar to those of the sporophyll. The vascular supply to the 
microsporangia gave indications of homology with that to the 
megasporangia, taking into account that the former were borne on 
the lower and the latter on the upper surface of the sporophyll. 
Instead of falling into the micropyle the pollen of Araucaria 
fell on the sporophyll near the end of the ligule and the tube 
grew backwards into the micropyle. At certain stages the 
sporophylls were found to be covered with these tubes. Agathis 
on the other hand had no ligule and the pollen grains fell on 
the sporophyll nearer the micropyle. The supernumerary nuclei 
found in the pollen grain of Araucaria by Lopriore were not, as he 
supposed, generative nuclei. Two generative cells could be observed 
quite distinctly side by side. The other nuclei might have been 
developed from the tube nucleus in relation to the unusual length 
of the tube, but more probably represented primitive prothallial 
tissue. The development of the embryo was peculiar, being inter¬ 
mediate between that of Cycads and Ginkgo. The megasporangium, 
as was well-known, had an inversely oriented vascular supply. In a 
certain species of Agathis there were two sets of lateral bundles 
with no destination, which were also inversely oriented. Professor 
Jeffrey had found a cretaceous type which he called Proto-Dannuara 
with three ovules on the megasporophyll. The lateral bundles in 
Agathis were probably the remnants of the supply to similar lateral 
ovules. 
Mr. Carruthers said that he came as a learner to hear Dr. 
Scott’s account of recent work. He had no doubt of the existence 
of true ferns in the Carboniferous apart from the Medulloseag. 
9.30 He could not help thinking that the search for common 
ancestors introduced a difficulty. It would have been better 
if Dr. Scott had confined himself to determining affinities. 
Professor F. E. Weiss (Manchester) said he was sure most 
of them were anxious to hear Mr. Seward’s reply to Dr. Scott’s 
arguments. Although he had not had the advantage of being 
present on the last occasion, he had read Mr. Seward’s account of 
his views. He himself had been accused by Dr. Scott of sitting on 
the fence and had been requested to get down on one side or the 
other. Now he had been brought up in a way which tended to 
make him espouse the Filicinean theory of Gymnosperm descent, 
but they had all been waiting for the publication of Mr. Seward’s 
work on the Araucarieae to see what evidence would be brought 
forward, because they knew that Mr. Seward had seen reason to 
believe in the Lycopodinean descent of this group at least. All of 
them agreed that the work of the last ten years or so had put the 
Filicinean origin of Cycads beyond question. This probably applied 
to Cordaiteac also, and Mr. Seward’s own work had helped to make 
