Collected by Mr. George Gibbs. 513 



above, ours is readily distinguishable. Of these, the first 

 is linear lanceolate, acute, with acute-angled nervation, 

 nerves usually forked ; of the second, the form is also lin- 

 ear, the nervation acute-angled, nerves often forked, and 

 the margin toothed ; of the third, the outline is broadly 

 linear, the nervation acute-angled, nerves forked at the 

 base. 



It gives me great pleasure to dedicate this interesting 

 fern to my friend, Mr. George Gibbs, the Geologist of the 

 Northwest Boundary Commission, by whom it was col- 

 lected. 



Formation and locality. Cretaceous ? strata, Point 

 Doughty, Orcas Island. 



Equisetum robustum Newb. 



Desc. Stem robust, eight lines wide with about twenty- 

 four strongly marked furrows ; sheaths long ; teeth long- 

 pointed, acute, as many as the furrows ; internodes a little 

 longer than the diameter of the stem. 



There is no living species of Equisetum which attains 

 the size of the fossil before us ; though it does not rival 

 in this respect those found in the older mesozoic rocks. 

 Between the living and older extinct species it seems to 

 form a connecting link, a stepping-stone, by which the 

 Calamites of the coal period, and the gigantic Equiseta of 

 the Trias have come down to the humble dimensions of 

 their present representatives. 



There is no described Tertiary species with which it will 

 be likely to be confounded. E. procerum. Heer, (Flor. 

 Tert. Helvet. p. 158, Taf. CXLVI. fig. 1,) is even larger, 

 but will at once be distinguished from it by its smoother 

 stem and far more numerous and less acute teeth. 



Formation and locality. Miocene Tertiary shale, Bel- 

 lingham Bay, W. T. 



AspiDiuiM Kennerlyi Newb. 



Desc. Frond pinnate ; pinnse deeply pinnatifid ; pin- 



JOUKNAL B. S. >J. H. 65 FEBRUAKT, 1863. 



