BY U. ETIIERIDGE, JUN. 247 



phyopsis, but the best of Nathorst's figures* conveys the impres- 

 sion of a leaf in which the veins did not pass from a raid-rib, 

 supposing it possessed one, after the manner of Glossopteris or 

 Gangamopteris, but rather as in Afacrotceniopteris, practically 

 horizontal and at right angles. One very characteristic feature 

 about these Swedish leaves is that the rhombic-hexagonal venation 

 of the mesh is confined to one side of the leaves, proba,bly the 

 outside or marginal portion. On that part of the leaf contiguous 

 to the mid-rib, if it existed, the veins are simple and parallel to 

 one another. 



In his Fig. 4t Nathorst represents a series of very regular 

 punctse, in a single line, within the boundaries of each rhombic- 

 hexagon of the mesh. Supposing these to represent fructification, 

 we know nothing like it in Glossopteris. Fontaine, however, 

 figures the supposed fructification of his Sagenopturis elUptica,\ 

 as small elevations or dots, in the substance of the mesh between 

 the anastomosing veins. 



8. Relation of Glossopteris to Dactylopteris. 



Ottokar Feistmantel, the describer of Dactylopteris, assigns to 

 it a digitate frond of six or more sessile or petiolate leaflets on a 

 common stalk. The leaflets are lanceolate, with a mid-rib in the 

 basal portions dividing upwards into anastomosing secondary veins 

 forming a polygonal or oblong mesh.§ 



It is difficult to understand how, on this definition, Dactylopteris 

 differs from Sagenopteris, unless it be by the number of leaflets on 

 the frond, and the more defined condition of the mid-rib. Even 

 Feistmantel does not appear too positive, for he simply remarks 

 that Sagenoj)teris "has somewhat different characters." 



The genus was provisionally proposed for the two species already 

 mentioned as Sagenopteris longifolia and S. (? ) polyphylla. In 



* Loc. cit. t. 7, f. 3. 



t Loc. cit. t. 7, f. 4. 



X Mon. U.S. Geol. Survey (Powell's), 1889, xv. p. 149, t. 27, f. 15, 15a. 



§PaI. Indica (Gonchvana Flora), 1881, iii. Pt. 3, p. 113. 



/^ 



