On a Cone of Calamostachys binneyana. 249 
ON A CONE OF CALAMOSTACHYS BINNEYANA 
(CARRUTHERS) ATTACHED TO A LEAFY SHOOT. 
By H. Hamshaw Thomas, B.A. 
(Downing College, Cambridge). 
[With Plate I. and Text-Figs, 31, 32.] 
A LTHOUGH forty years have now passed since the first 
decription of the cone Calamostachys binneyana was published, 
hitherto no petrified specimen has been found in connection with 
vegetative organs of any kind. It may therefore be of some 
interest to record the discovery of a specimen showing a cone with 
four whorls of Calamite leaves attached at the base. 
The specimen was found in a calcareous nodule from the 
Halifax Hard Bed of the Lower Coal Measures at Huddersfield. 
I received three longitudinal sections cut through it from Mr. J. 
Lomax on December 8th, 1908. 
Historical. Before describing the specimen, a brief review of 
the previous work published on the subject will be given. The first 
account of an English cone of this type was by Carruthers, 1 who 
called it Volkmannia Binneyana. He gave a brief description of its 
structure, comparing it with Volkmannia Ludwigi, previously figured 
in 1861. 2 He terms the sterile bracts between the sporangiophores 
foliage leaves, apparently without much evidence as to their 
structure or homologies. It will be shown later that there is really 
considerable similarity between the two organs. 
In 1868, Binney 3 published a number of excellent figures 
of transverse and longitudinal sections of a cone which he attributed 
to Calamodendron commune, and gave a brief description of them. 
As in almost all the other species described, the base of the cone 
was not seen. 
Schimper 4 introduced the generic name Calamostachys for cones 
similar in type to that figured by Binney. He stated however that 
Binney’s strobilus was distinct from the cones of Calamodendron 
commune. In his excellent figure, the top of the cone, and probably 
the base, are shown, but neither the stem nor the leaves below the 
base are indicated. 
1 Carruthers (67). 2 Ludwig (61). 
8 Binney (68), p. 23, Pis. IV. and V. 4 Schimper (69), p. 330. 
