[MATTHEW] UPPER DEVONIAN PLANTS 101 



ferns, in which latter, however, the stipules come away from the parent 

 plant; in the Marattiaceœ, however they remain attached. Again 

 the dichotomy of the veins of the leaves and the absence of a midrib 

 in the pinnules are indications of a primitive type in this class. Pro- 

 fessor Johnson also calls attention to the separation of the vegetative 

 and reproductive regions of the plants of this genus, as in the 

 Osmundaceae and Ophioglossaceae which nevertheless are considered 

 groups of ferns, and his investigations of the fruiting organs seem 

 to confirm the conclusion that the species of this genus (Archaeopteris) 

 are to be considered ferns. They are distributed in the Lower Car- 

 boniferous and Devonian rocks. 



A. HIBERNICA var. MINOR, Crepin, var Palœopteris hibernica 

 var. minor, Crepin. 



Francis Crepin noticed in the museum at Brussels, examples 

 from the Devonian rocks of Belgium of smaller size than the typical 

 iorm OÎ A. hibernica, which he distinguished by the above name; this 

 variety was also found at Kiltorcan. 



In working over the material from Kiltorcan in the collection of 

 the Natural History Society of New Brunswick the writer met with 

 another form which seems to be distinct from described forms of this 

 protean species and which he has distinguished as 



var. GENICULATUS, n. var. (PI. I, fig. 1). 



Distinguished from the type and from var. minor by the peculiar 

 geniculation of the pinnae at 7 mm. from the rachis. 



For about 7 mm. the several pinnae turn distinctly outward or 

 somewhat backward, and then bend forward at a sharp angle; this 

 proximal part of the pinna is of denser substance than the rest, and of 

 less diameter than the rest, in which the vascular strands become 

 gradually weaker and less numerous. The pinnules are of the form 

 of those of A. hibernica and are set similarly on the pinnae. The 

 fruiting portion of this variety is unknown. 



Besides the above named species with its varieties. Professor 

 Johnson found or described two other species of this genus in the 

 Devonian rocks of Ireland, viz. Archœopteris Tschermaki, Stur, at 

 Kiltorcan, (PI. I, fig. 2,) having a rachis that was forked, and 

 having a portion of the pinna devoted to seed or spore-bearing. 

 This species has a suggestion of Neuropteris in the form and 

 venation of the pinnules, but the veins are not regularly 

 arched as in Neuropteris. Professor Johnson compares this species 

 to A. fimbriata Nath. and Cardiopteris frondosa Gopp; he also suggests 

 that it may be compared with species of Rachiopteris of the Culm 

 &c. Another species of Archaeopteris that has been found in the 



