K0.2229. FOSSIL PLANTS FROM BOLIVIA— BERRY. 117 



said that they appear to be of late Tertiary age and either of Mio- 

 cene or PHocene time. This conclusion is based on the close rela- 

 tion of D. singewaldi to D. lamellosa. Since Miocene time Discinisca 

 has been abundant, and the striate-lamellose group is common in 

 the Miocene of the Atlantic and eastern GuK States (D. lugubris), 

 and occurs rarely in the Coos Bay formation of the Pacific States (D. 

 oregonensis) . To-day this group of Disciniscas is common all along 



Fig. 2.— Discinisca singewaldi Schuchert. 



the Pacific coast of South America (Z>. laevis, D. cumingii, D. sirigafa)) 

 and the lamellose section is also repre?^ented (D. lamellosa) . 



It is a great surprise to learn that these shells were collected at 

 13,500 feet above the sea, for this means that the Andes in the region 

 of Bolivia have been raised that much since Miocene or even Pho- 

 cene time. No brachiopod has ever adapted itseK to fresh waters, 

 though Lingulas continue to live in the much freshened waters of 

 the present sea margin. The evidence is clear that D. singewaJdi is 

 a marine animal, living in shallow waters whose depth probably 

 did not exceed 60 feet. The exact age of the species and of the beds 

 in which it occurs must be determined from other evidence, though 

 they appear to be referable to either Miocene or Pliocene time. 



Cotyyes. — In the Peabody Museum of Yale University. 



PTERIDOPHYTA. 

 Order FILICALES. 



Family POLYPODIACEAE. 



Genus POLYSTICHUM Roth. 



POLYSTICHLM BOLIVIANLM, new species. 



Plate 15, fig. 1. 

 Description. — Frond character unknown. Pinnules small, inequi- 

 aterally trilobate, short stalked. Length, 9 mm.; maximum width, 

 5.5 mm. Margin entire or with an occasional mucronate tooth, dis- 

 tinctly not spinulose. Texture coriaceous. The pinnule on one side 

 above the middle shows an outwardly directed, conical, acuminate 

 pointed lobe subtending an open rectangular sinus. On the other 

 side one-third of the distance from the base is a similar conical 

 acuminate lobe slightly larger than that of the opposite side, sub- 

 tending a similar sinus. About halfway to the tip of the pinnule on 

 this side there is a second vestigial lobe or mucronate tooth above 

 which the margin curves inward to the conical acuminate tip of the 



