106 M.Bi'ongniart on the Relations of the 



lobed at the margins ; and there is no small leaflet inserted upon 

 these flattened rachides ; hence we cannot suppose that it is the 

 young frond of a fern still convoluted at the extremity. I ought 

 moreover to remark, that these fronds do not constitute a unique 

 and exceptional case, but are extremely abundant in this stratum. 

 After having compared these impressions with all the foliaceous 

 organs with which I am acquainted, I find none to which they 

 have more analogy than those abortive fronds, which in Cycas 

 bear the organs of reproduction. These modified fronds of CycaSj 

 which are much shorter than the true leaves, support on their 

 base and on the two sides of the petiole, two, three or four tole- 

 rably approximated ovules ; towards the extremity they expand 

 into a thick lamina, which is slightly dilated and almost entire 

 in Cycas circinalisy very large, and deeply cut into narrow lacinise 

 in Cycas revoluta. 



There is certainly a great difi"erence both in the shape and de- 

 tails of the form of these organs and those to which I compare 

 them, but their general structure appears to me very analogous ; 

 and when we recollect that the leaflets of Cycas are spirally con- 

 voluted in their young state, like the lobes of this singular frond ; 

 when we remember that Noggerathia, and particularly the species 

 which accompanies it, has much larger leaflets than those oi Cycas ; 

 finally, when we find these fronds associated with leaflets having 

 so many characters common to the other Cycadecs^ we are led to 

 believe that these anomalous fronds are the abortive and fructi- 

 ferous fronds of Noggerathia. This supposition is confirmed by 

 the presence of large quantities of fruits, or rather seeds, which 

 resemble those of Cycas Tao^t strikingly,, in the same strata which 

 contain these two kinds of fronds. These are large oblong or 

 ellipsoidal seeds, flattened by compression, perfectly symmetri- 

 cal, thicker, and as it were truncated towards the base at the 

 point corresponding to the chalaza, more acute at the summit, 

 and frequently towards this extremity presenting traces of an in- 

 ternal body which appears to indicate the position of the micro- 

 pyle and the attachment of the embryo. 



It is difficult to avoid being struck by the analogy in form 

 and structure of the appreciable parts of these seeds with those 

 of the CycadecB and certain Comferce, such as the yew and the 

 gingko. But they present the most marked relations to the true 

 Cycadece in form and size. 



Hence we find combined in a single layer of one coal-mine, 

 and frequently in the same pieces of sandstone or schist: — 1. 

 Leaves, the leaflets of which have the form and nervation of those 

 of certain existing Cycadece, especially the American Zamice ; 

 2. Leaves of a peculiar form, having however a well-marked 

 analogy with the modified leaves which bear the fruit in certain 



