2d2 Contributions towards Establishing the General Character 



is the only one figured in the " Fossil Flora/' that has been found in 

 England.* Lardin, Terrassontj StEtienne, Manebach,andSaarbriicken, 

 are the principal localities on the continent which yield the few species 

 that have been described by Schlotheim, Brongniart, and others. 



I cannot but anticipate, what will hereafter be sufficiently evident, that 

 Odontopteris is leading us gradually from the Ferns to the Cycases, inas- 

 much as from the last genus we pass insensibly into that of Otopteris,l 

 which merges completely into the Cycadeous type. 



Hitherto, the genera which have passed under our notice are essen- 

 tially characteristic of the carboniferous epoch ; but the genus {^Otopteri$) 

 which is now to engage our attention, not only does it approximate us 

 to Cycadid<e by its characters, but by its position in the geological series 

 we are brought up to a later age, in which there is positive evidence of 

 this class of plants having existed. 



Without attending to the doubtful forms of Otopteris? duhia, and 

 Otopteris ? Dvfremoyi, — a Triassic fossil,§ we may, by means of such 

 species as 0. Beaniy\\ 0. Bechei, and O. latifolia, pass insensibly into 

 Otopteris pectiniformis, which places us at once in immediate proximity to 

 fos^ls which have been, by general consent, placed in the family Cyca- 

 didte. As Otopteris pectiniformis may be said to osculate two great 

 classes of the vegetable kingdom, I have represented in figure 7, PI. V. 

 the veining and form of its leaflets twice the natural size. Their 

 base, at its superior side, possesses a very slight auricle, into which 

 a few veins are seen to curve ; below these, a set, although still having 

 an upward tendency, runs more directly from the base to the termination, 

 and the remainder, or the lowest veins, run out perfectly parallel with 

 the inferior margin : occasionally the veins are divided. If we compare 

 the veining thus represented with that of the leaflets of Otopteris latifolia 

 as figured by Phillips, and by the authors of the *' Fossil Flora,'' it will 



* Mr Morris, in his " Catalogue of British Fossils," mentions Odontopteris Bri- 

 tannica as occurring in Yorkshire. 



t In this locality occurs the singular Sigillaria Bracurdi. It would be a most im- 

 portant point gained, in support of the view I am now endeavouring to establish, 

 were it discovered, that this plant, which agrees with the Cj cases, by its external 

 characters, possessed Odontopteris for its foliage. 



X The leaflets of Odontopteris being attached by their entire base, while those 

 of Otopteris are constricted (e. g. O. Beani, &c.) at this part, would seem to be a 

 serious objection to the one passing into the other ; but the interesting coal-mea- 

 sure fossil figured in the " Fossil Flora" as Otopteris ? dubia, whether we consider 

 it a species of the last genus, or of Odontopteris, appears to break the force of this ob- 

 jection. 



§ Neuropteris Dufresnoyi of Brongniart ; Vide " Vegetaux Fossiles," pi. 74. fig. 4, 



II The veining and general form of the leaflets of this fossil agree so much with 

 the same characters oi Otopteris latifolia, as to prevent my considering it as belong- 

 ing to the genus Cyclopteris, in which some are disposed to place it. Looking upon 

 0. latiiolia as the type of Otopteris, it would appear that in 0. Beani the genus had 

 assumed the form of Cyclopteris. For the specific names which are adopted in the 

 text, oi ''^e genus Otopteris, vide Supplementary Note. 



