BY R. ETIIERIDGE, JUN. 233 



ever, Bunbnry doubted, and said that nothing in the Indian 

 examples, examined by him, showed them to be otherwise than 

 simple fronds. Bunbury also stated* that Dr. McClelland, in 

 one of his Indian Geological Survey Reports (1850), figured a 

 Glossopteris that might at first sight be supposed to show a digitate 

 frond, "but on examination of the drawing [McClelland's], it is 

 clear that the leaves did not all grow in the same plane, and that 

 instead of being leaflets of a digitate frond, they are really single 

 fronds growing in a tuft (as is so common in recent ferns) from a 

 short thick rhizoma." Dana says of his very interesting specimen, 

 " fronds formed a clump, as is common now with numerous ferns, 

 especially those of warmer climates. The foot-stalk into which 

 the frond tapers is very long, quite equalling, in the young 



individual, the old frond At least twenty fronds 



were clustered together in the clump and probably others."! The 

 figure given by Dana exhibits seventeen or eighteen stipes radiat- 

 ing apparently from a common level, like a vertical. Only two 

 portions of fronds remain, but the perfect one possesses a definite 

 strong mid-rib. The fronds had evidently been converted into a 

 black carbonised film, and in consequence the venation is not 

 apparent. Many of the petioles or stipes are very long, as much 

 as one and a-quarter inches in one case. The object to which the 

 petioles are attached is seen obliquely and looks like a section of 

 a caudex. It is manifest that this is not precisely the arrangement 

 or method of union visible in our specimen, now under discussion. 

 In this case, as before explained, the fronds are sessile, and placed 

 one above the other on the caudex. 



We may now turn our attention to the latter, and compare the 

 structure of that of our specimen with some remarks of Prof. 

 McCoy's. I He says — "I believe I have ascertained the rhizoma 

 of this species [G. hrowniana\ which is furnished with ovate, 

 clasping (or at least very convex) subcarinate scales, having a 



* Ibid. p. 328. 



t Dana, Joe. cit. p. 716. 



+ Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 1847, xx. p. 151. 



