Miscellaneous. 233 



was so named by Prof. Owen. It is quoted in the ' Paleontology ' 

 as a species with forty anterior vertebrae supporting ribs on the 

 centra ; and as the specimen at York appeared to differ specifically, 

 I merely wished to point the fact out, and not to transfer the type 

 of the species to the York specimen. 



2. To the statement that the head of Plesiosaurus Etheridgii is 

 «_L.th of the body" should have been added a note that this was on 

 the" authority of an abstract in the ' Annals of Natural History ' 

 ser. 3. vol. i. p. lo8, Prof. Huxley's paper (Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. 

 p. 281, 1858) gives it as less than y^th of the body. 



3. Prof. Owen had recognized, many years ago, the distinct cha- 

 racter of the Plesiosaur described, and suggested for it the name 

 {grandipinnis, which for uniformity was rendered into) macropterus. 

 Had I been aware at the time that a monograph of Lias Plesiosaurs 

 may shortly be expected from Prof. Owen, I should not have pub- 

 lished my own brief notes. 



I am, Gentlemen, 

 Sidney College, Cambridge. Very truly yours, 



Harry Seeley. 



New British Lichens. By the Rev. W. A, Leighton. 



In October last, I discovered on wood-palings at Stableford, near 

 Bridgenorth, Shropshire, Lecidea tantilla, Nyl., growing in plenty 

 with Lecanora varia, var. conizcea, Ach., and Lecidea ostreata, Ach. 

 In January I860 I also found on railings, near Shrewsbury, in great 

 plenty and in a state of beautiful perfection, a lichen belonging to 

 the genus Odontotrema, Nyl., a genus new to Britain, which on mi- 

 croscopically comparing with a specimen of O. minus, Nyl., received 

 from Dr. Nylander himself, I found to have sporidia double the size 

 of those in that plant, and triseptate, and consequently to be a new 

 species. I immediately sent a specimen of my plant to Dr. Nylander; 

 and he replied (Jan. 5, 18G5), " Votre Odontotrema est nouveau ; " 

 and he names it O. longius, Nyl., remarking, "mais presque une va- 

 riete de YO. minus." Of these lichens I hope shortly to give further 

 description and illustration in the ' Annals,' and dried specimens in 

 the 13th fasc. of my 'Lich. Brit. Exs.' now in preparation. 



It may be also well to note that Dr. Nylander says, in a letter to 

 me, dated Feb. 11, 18C5, " Le Thelocarpon Laureri [see 'Annals,' 

 Dec. 1864] est tres-repandu, sans doute ; je l'ai en excellent etat sur 

 du bois pourri de l'interieur de la Finlande." 



Shrewsbury, Feb. 16, 1864. 



On the Lnflorescence and Floivers of the Cruciferae. 

 By D. A. Godron. 

 The plants with a racemose mode of inflorescence usually present 

 at the base of each peduncle a more or less developed bract, which is 

 generally rudimentary, although very constant. In the Cruciferse, 

 however, these bracts are generally wanting. The author endeavours 

 to prove that they exist in the original plan of the Cruciferse, and 

 supports this opinion by the rather numerous examples of bracts 



