48 PP. REPor/r of progress, fontatxe Sz wiiitf- 



rib, until the last one comes quite close to it, thus forming- 

 rows, each containing 4 sori, and each row inclined towards 

 the mid-rib. The general method of fructification is very 

 similar to that of Scolopendrium oulgare, the sori appear- 

 ing to lie between adjoining branches of adjacent nerves. 

 They have a raised margin on each side, which closely re- 

 sembles the double indusium of Scolopendrium. 



Bunbury, in vol. Ill, Quar. Jour. Geol. Soc. on PL 21. 

 figures a hirsute plant from CajDe Breton, whicli he con- 

 siders as Neuropteris cordata. It is plainly identical with 

 N. hirsuta. On it are depicted depressions like those on 

 our plant, though smaller, and showing a similar arrange- 

 ment, i. e. groups of four (when complete), the uppermost 

 depression being nearest to the mid-rib. He states that 

 they lie between the veins, and thinks them the result of 

 disease. They are probably impressions of sori as in our 

 plan t. 



Brongniart, in his Hist. d. Yeg. Fos. PI. LXY, Fig. 3, 

 gives what he considered as the fructification of X. flexuosa. 

 The arrangement of these markings seems to be without 

 definite order, and judging from their general character, 

 they appear not to form fructifications. They do not agree 

 with the fructification given for this plant by Dr. Heer in 

 his '^Uhr. d. Schweitz ; " Die Pfl. d. Steink. Periode." We 

 have seen a pinna of jN". flexuosa, containing 6 pinnules, each 

 pinnule marked by a row of elliptical elevations on each 

 side of the mid-nerve. These, which are evidentl\^ impres- 

 sions of sori, agree essentially with Heer's fructification, 

 but they are larger and more elongate ellij)tical in shape. 

 This specimen was in the collection of Mr. Gustav Guten- 

 berg of Wheeling, and was collected at the locality afford- 

 ing the fructified N. hirsuta. Mr, Gutenberg kindly offered 

 to place it in our hands for descrij)tion and figuring, but it 

 was unfortunately lost before reaching us. 



The specimens figured in Figs. 7 and 8, as well as others 

 of the same character, were found by us near Bellaire, 

 Ohio, 20 feet below the Pittsburg Coal, in a very fine grained 

 shale which has beautifully preserved the plants contained 

 in it. 



