D. H. Scott. 
114 
plants it must not be expected that, as the result of one or two years’ 
work, races of canes will be obtained permanently richer in sugar 
than the stock from which they were derived. The selection must 
be continuous, and the principal practical lesson gained so far is 
that every cultivator of sugar cane should take care to select as the 
source of his future crop the best canes to hand. 
(To be continued.) 
THE SPORANGIA OF STAUROPTERIS OLDHAMIA, 
BINNEY. 
(Rachioptcris oldhamia, Will.) 
By D. H. Scott, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S. 
Hon. Keeper of the Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 
HIS fossil was originally described by Binney, in January, 
1872, 1 under the first name given above; it is, however, better 
known to botanists by Williamson’s name, Racliiopteris oldhamia. 
The generic name Racliiopteris, was, as is well known, adopted by 
Williamson as a common designation for Fern-like petioles and 
stems with structure preserved. The heterogeneous group thus 
constituted has proved of some temporary utility, but is clearly 
destined to be again broken up, as our knowledge of the various 
types embraced in it becomes more advanced. In the present 
instance, as we are now in a position to describe the fructification 
(or at least a fructification) of the plant, the time has evidently 
come to remove it from the Racliiopteris lumber-room, and re¬ 
instate the species in its own genus, so appropriately named by its 
discoverer. 2 
Stauropteris oldhamia is one of the commonest fossils in the 
calcareous nodules of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Coal-Measures. 
The main features in its structure were described by Williamson in 
1874. 3 Although the word “stem” is employed in his description, 
1 Proceedings of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical 
Society, 1872. 
2 trTcivpbs, a cross. 
3 On the Organization of the Fossil Plants of the Coal-Measures, 
Part VI., Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Vol. 164, p. 685, Figs. 20 27. 
The fossil was subsequently described by Felix, Unter- 
suchungen iiber den inneren Bau Westfiilischer Carbon- 
pflanzen, 1886. Abhandl. d. k. geolog. Landesanstalt Bd. 7, 
Heft. 3, Berlin, p. 13. 
