44 



E. W. BiNNEY, V.P., F.R.S., stated that during the last 

 session he had exhibited specimens of Zygopteris and Stau- 

 ropteris found in the lower coal measures of Lancashire, short 

 notices of which appeared in the Proceedings of the 9th Janu- 

 ary and the 20th February, 1872. He now brought some 

 drawings of other specimens of petioles from the same locali- 

 ties, which appeared to belong to the genus Anachoropteris. 

 Oueofthem given to him by his friend Mr. Whitaker of 

 Watersheddings, Oldham, was closely allied to Anachoro2ote- 

 rlsDecaisniiofKensiwlt. It was of an oval form, measuring 

 half an inch across its major and four tenths of an inch 

 across its minor axis. 



Another singular fossil was from his own cabinet, and 

 procured from the Lower Brooksbottom seam of coal. It 

 was of a circular form and about one tenth of an inch in 

 diameter. Its central axis was bounded by three crescent- 

 shaped lines which joined together, and at their points of 

 junction proceeded in three rays, which at their extremities 

 diverged in numerous curved lines towards the circum- 

 ference. These rays bore some resemblance to the five rays 

 in an Anachoropteris figured by Renault in plate 10, 

 fig. 2 of tome xii. of the Annales des Sciences Natui-elles, 

 but in the place of being embedded in cellular tissue as 

 in the French specimen, they appeared to traverse a mass 

 of reticulated tissue arranged in a series of curved lines so as 

 to appear like three quadrants arranged within a circle 

 with the central axis in the form of a spherical triangle in 

 the midst of them. It is nearly impossible to describe the 

 fossil without the aid of a figure. He considered that it 

 would have to be placed in a new genus, and he had 

 already found five or six different species. 



