Rev. Mr Cowan on the Natural History of Madagascar. 133 



yet they have hitherto always shown some character which 

 has necessitated their being kept separate.* 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE L 



Eusphenopteris teiulla (Brong.). 



Fig. 1. Portion of barren frond from Sauchie, near Alloa. 



Fig. 2, Portion of larger form from same locality. 



Fig. 3. Fertile frond, lax form, from same locality. 



Fig. 4. Fertile frond, compact form, from same locality. 



Fig. 5. Sporangia or capsules, magnified, showing the small apical aperture. 



Fig. 6. The same, viewed more obliquely. 



SplicnopUris microcarpa (Lesq.). 



Fig. 7. Portion of barren frond, from near Dollar, collected by Mr A. E. 

 Grant. 



Fig. 8. Pinnule, enlarged. 



Fig. 9. Portion of fertile frond, from near Dysart. 



Fig. 10. Pinnule of fig. 9, enlarged, showing sporangia arranged in groups 

 of three. 



Fig. 11. Another pinnule, enlarged, more sparsely fruited. 



Fig. 12. Two sporangia, magnified, showing slight indication of a mar- 

 ginal border. 



Fig. 13. Sporangium, magnified, showing a slight obliquity of the ar- 

 rangement of cells forming the marginal border. 



Fig. 14. Another sporangium, magnified. 



IV. Notes on the Natural History of Madagascar. By Rev. 

 W. Deans Cowan. 



(Read 19th April 1882.) 



In October of 1874, we landed at Tamatave, the principal 

 seaport town on the east coast of Madagascar, and in that 

 month, in 1881, we embarked at the same port for England ; 

 thus nearly eight years were spent in one of the most remark- 

 able zoological districts on the globe. 



A considerable portion of this time was spent in the 

 province of Betsil^o, on the liigh central plateau; but at 



* Stur, in his ** Culm Flora," describes a fossil fern (Todca LipoMi), which 

 appears to be similar to Sphenoptcris bifida (L & H.). As its fruit is unknown, 

 his reason for placing it in the genus Todca seems simply to rest on the 

 segmentation of the frond being somewhat of the same nature as that seen in 

 such species as Todea supcrba. 



