100 ON THE FOSSIL FLORA OF THE COAL DEPOSITS OF AUSTRALIA, 



Fossil Flora, plate 52. Sternberg Flor. d. Vorw. 4, p. 16, 5, p. 

 72 ; Brongniart Prod. p. 54, and Hist. d. Yeg. Foss. 1, p. 240, 

 plate 69. 



The Rev. W. B. Clarke mentions Neuropteris as occurring at 

 Newcastle, but no such fossil was found in his collections or 

 amongst those sent to Europe. It was probably a mistaken 

 identification. 



Neuropteris australis, n s., plate 8, fig. 4, 5. Frond pinnate 

 with a thick, broad, conspicuously grooved rachis. Pinna? ovate 

 and Ungulate, the lower ones, moderately and irregularly lobed 

 and obtuse, unsymmetrical, the upper ones, ovate, acuminate with 

 an acute apex, the apical pinnules, trifoliate, with lobes broadly 

 rounded, all affixed to the rachis by a somewhat broad petiole. 

 Veins rather thick and prominent, radiating from the base, the 

 venules running almost parallel in a curve to the margin. Length 

 of lower pinnules, 15 to 20 millim. ; breadth, 8 to 10 millim. 

 Upper ones gradually diminishing in length and breadth to the 

 summit of the frond. 



This species of Fern differs from Thinnjeldia in the shape and 

 arrangement of the pinnae, which are not decurrent, and diminish 

 in size towards the apex, where they become ovate-lanceolate and 

 finally trifoliate, in a way that is never seen in any of the other 

 fossils we have in Australia. There does not seem to be any 

 signs of the bifurcation of the frond. 



The first specimen I received of this interesting fossil was 

 obtained by the Rev. J. Milne-Curran, from the gravel of the Bell 

 River, near "Wellington, N.S.W. The fossil was in ironstone, 

 and evidently derived from some of the limonite nodules such as 

 are obtained from the Hawkesbury rocks. There is only one living- 

 form to which it could be referred, namely, Aneimia (Swartz). 

 This genus is distinguished by forked radiating free venules, with- 

 out a median vein, which make it stand alone amongst living 

 forms. It is not represented in Australia, but is in Africa, and 

 almost confined to the tropics. 



I venture to suggest that the connection between these forms 

 may be worth attention. There is a fossil genus connected with 



