igoi] White — The Genus Whittleseva. 107 



pointed teeth are comparable to the Sewanee form of JV. luidulata. 

 It is worthy of note in this connection that the collections from 

 the Upper Lykens division at the Lincoln mines in the Southern 

 Anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania contain a Whittleseya form^ 

 whose narrowest leaves are so similar in size and character to 

 that described above from St. John as to sug-g-est slight doubt as 

 to the validity of a specific separation for the Pennsylvania type, 

 although the other associated leaves of the same plant are propor- 

 tionately very much broader and somewhat longer. 



From the foregoing it will be seen that the Whittlcseycv thus 

 far discovered in the Riversdale and Lancaster formations pertain 

 to the group with numerous more compact nerve fascicles and 

 broader proportions, in general characteristic ot the Upper Potts- 

 ville, rather than to the linear group,- with comparatively few 

 bands and large teeth, which prevails in the lower portions of the 

 Pottsville in the Appalachian province. 



The genus Whittleseya is regarded by most paljEobotanists as 

 a gymnospermous type, although some difference of opinion 

 exists as to its position among- the gymnosperms. As originally 

 published by Dr. Newberry,'^ it was described as perhaps pinnate, 

 and compared with various genera, not all gymnospermic, without 

 suggestion of a definite relationship with any family. By Lesquer- 

 eux,* and Sir William Dawson, •' it was referred to the 

 NocggcralhiacciF , a family typified by N^oeggerathin. The latter 

 genus, the original species of which resembles A?'ch<Topteris, is 

 now generally considered as most closely allied to the Cycads, 

 though some writers have classed it among the ferns. Schenck,^ 

 in 1884, placed the Whittleseycc in the Dolerophylleic, whose type 

 genus Dolerophylliim was put by Dawson in the Nocggerathiacce. 



Almost simultaneously, in 1885, in two important palajobotan 

 ical works published by Saporta, ^ and Renault,** Whittleseya 



^ Whittleseya clegujis Nevvb., var. miner D. W ., 20th Ann. Rept. U. S, 

 Geol. Surv., Pi. II, 1900, pp. 78S, 904. 



- Whittleseya CampbeUi D. W., op. cit.. p. 905, pi. CXL, fig's. 9-1 1; 

 and Whittleseya Lescuriana D. W., op. cit., p. 867 (description not vet pub- 

 lished. ) 



^ Annals of Science, vol. i, Cleveland, 1853, p. 116. 



•' Coal Flora, \ol. II, 1880, p. 523. Principles of Palaeozoic Palseobotany, 

 1883, p. 97. 



^ Can. Rec Sci., vol. IV, No. i, 1890, pp. 26, 27. 



^ In Zittels Handb. d. Palasont., vol. II, p. 253. 



' Evol. re^-. vegf., Phanerog., vol. I, p. 144. 



** Cours Bot. Foss., vol. IV, p. 69. 



