64 



gives some weighl to the reference of the seeds to the genus. The figured 

 specimen, moreover, bears upon its surface fragments of striated scales which 

 compare well with those of a catkin or Myrica, The agglomeration of seeds 

 imbedded into the stone, either flat or oblique or perpendicular, seems by 

 itself to indicate their origin as from a crushed catkin. 

 Habitat. — Near Decatur, Nebraska. 



Quercus primokdialis, Lesqx., PI. v, Fig. 7. 



Leaf subcoriaceous, narrowly oval, equally gradually tapering upward to a point and downward to 

 a short petiole, sharply equally dentate ; nervation pinnate, simple, craspedodrome. 



Quercus primordialis, Lesqx., American Journal of Science and Arts, ("?), xlvi, 



1868, p. 95. 



A well-preserved leaf, narrowly oval lanceolate, broader in the middle, 

 nearly 2£ centimeters, gradually tapering upward to a point and narrowing 

 downward in the same degree to a short petiole, altogether 11 centimeters 

 long; borders equally sharply distantly dentate, with the teeth turned up- 

 ward, lateral veins close, 14 pairs, deeply marked, parallel, all simple, nearly 

 straight to the point of each tooth under an angle of divergence of 40°; 

 nervilles about in right angle to the veins, undulate ; areolation obsolete. 



By its form and its nervation this leaf has its relation marked with some 

 variety of leaves of Quercus 'prinoides, Michx., and perhaps still more with 

 those of Castanea, This type is represented by a number of species in the 

 Tertiary, for example, in Unger's Flora v. Kumi, as Quercus lonchitis, Figs. 

 4 and 6 of PI. v, which have the more likeness to our leaf ; in Massal. Flora. 

 Senig., as Castanea ombonii, as illustrated PI. xlii, Fig. 8', &c. All these forms 

 and a number of other fossil leaves of the same character show always by 

 comparison some difference from this Cretaceous species. Debey, in the 

 study of the Cretaceous leaves of Belgium, has established a new genus, 

 Dryophyllum, containing leaves related to this Prinoid section of Quercus, as 

 also to Castanea and Castaneopsis. The nervation is described in Schimper's 

 Pal. Veget., II, p. 613, as subcamptodrome, the veins forking near the borders, 

 a character which is not remarked in this leaf. Phyllites grinitzianus, Gopp. 

 from the quader sandstein of Silesia, is closely allied to the Nebraska species, 



Habitat. — Near Decatur, Nebraska, Hayden. It is represented by four, 

 specimens, all fragmentary except the one figured as above. 



Quercus hex agon a, Lesqx., PI. v, Fig. 8. 



Leaf rhomboidal-ovate, tapering to a point from above the middle, narrowed downward, irregularly 

 dentate above ; nervation pinnate, simple, craspedo'drome. 



