264 Transactions. — Geology. 



Small firmly-fixed leaves, 20mm. -3omm. long by 8mm.- 

 13mm. wide, narrowing at the base, where they are wedge- 

 shaped ; sinuate at the edges or piunate-lobate. The leaves 

 are very similar to those of Myrica quercifolia, L., especially 

 to the variety laciniata, in which the lobes of the leaves 

 are unequally wide and long, sometimes projecting at an 

 acute angle, sometimes almost horizontal, and consequently 

 the simple secondary nerves, which supply them, start at 

 different acute angles. 



T?ie primary nei-ve is somewhat delicate, and disappears 

 below the top of the leaf, as in the living species named. 

 There are only traces of the tertiary nerves, which ai-e very 

 delicate ; the reticulation, however, is not preserved. The 

 acceptance of this fossil leaf as a fern-fragment is completely 

 precluded. 



A fruit (fig. 12) was found at Shag Point, wliich agrees 

 well with that of M. quercifolia, and which I place together 

 with the leaves described as belonging to the same species. 

 The fruit is globular, measures 6mm. in diameter, and shows 

 a grained surface. 



The species described may consequently be considered in 

 every respect as a forerunner of M. quercijolia, L., which is 

 indigenous at the Cape of Good Hope, from which it is only 

 distinguished by the leaves, which are on the whole compai'a- 

 tively narrower, but at the base less narrow, and also by the 

 fruit, which is larger. 



Betulace^. 

 Alnus novae-zeelandiae, sp. uov. 



Plate XXVI., figs. 15-17. 



A. foliis mcmhranaceis, petiolatis, latiiiscitlis, obovatis vel 

 cllipticis basiohtusis, marrjinc integcrrimis velixirce denticulatis ; 

 nervatione mixta, camptodroina, hinc incle craspedodroma, 

 nervo iwimario prominentc recto; nervis secundariis angulis 

 d'0P-5(P egredieniibus, subreetis eel paiillo curvatis, simpli- 

 cihus vel apice furcatis ; nervis iertiariis distinctis, latere 

 externa secundarioriLm angulia aciifis exeuntibus, simplicibus 

 vel ramosis, inter se conjunctis, rclicido inconspicuo. 



Locality : Sliag Point (Otago Museum) ; Eedcliffe Gully 

 (Canterbury Museum). \Ex CoW. Geol. Surv. Otago, 1862 ; 

 Hector: and Geol. Surv. Cant. ; v. Haast.] 



Alder-leaves which I could almost bring to an agreement 

 with Alnus kefersteinii, Gccpp., as the agreement in all charac- 

 teristics is so great, with the exception of the nature of the 

 edge and the manner in whicli the secondary nerves end. 

 The leaf is thin and lierbaceous ; tlie stem attains a length of 

 iHnnn. ; the edge is cither unbroken or now and then dentate 



