ALGITES, 5 
The genus Chondrites is suggestive of supposed affinity with 
Chondria, but the definition given by Brongniart! shows that it 
was intended for the reception of forms with cylindrical branches. 
In Schimper’s ‘“ Traité de Paléontologie” the genus Chondrides? 
is defined as comprising fossils with cylindrical fronds, often 
repeatedly dichotomising, and possessing characters united in 
Chondria and Furcellaria among living alge. Those fossil algze 
with flattened fronds are referred to the genus Spherococcides, a 
name previously used by Sternberg as Spherococcites, and defined 
by him as follows :—‘‘Frons subcoriacea, plana dichotoma vel 
pinnata aut filiformis.’’® 
Schimper includes this genus in the FJoridee, and considerably 
extends Sternberg’s definition. 
Seeing that the specimens from the Wealden rocks do not conform 
exactly to any of these definitions, and that such terms are, to some 
extent, associated with definite genera of recent seaweeds, it is 
better to make use of a wider designation, such as Algites. 
There are some few fossils previously described from Mesozoic 
and Tertiary rocks, to which Algites valdensis shows a certain 
amount of resemblance. 
Under the name Chondrides dolichophyllus Squinabol‘* has 
described a specimen from Liguria which has a general habit 
similar to the Wealden species, but differs in the narrower and 
longer branches. Heer’s figure of Gyrophyllites Theobaldi, Hr., 
in the Foss. fl. Helvet,? shows an analogous type of plant, but 
the generic name which he adopts was instituted by Glocker® in 
1841 for a Cretaceous fossil which resembles the genus Caulerpa 
much more strongly than the flattened branching alge with which 
the present specimens agree. From the Jurassic rocks of East 
Yorkshire Leckenby’ has described a supposed alga, Fuceides 
erectus, which slightly resembles Algites valdensis; but the 
presence of a midrib and the delicate nature of the lateral parts 
of the branches are much more suggestive of Hepatic affinities. 
1 Tableau, p. 9. See also Prodrome, p. 20, where the older name Gigartinites 
is defined. 
2 Trait. pal. vég. vol. i. p. 168. 
3 Flor. Vorwelt, fasc. vii. p. 28. 
* Contrib. Fl. foss. Liguria, vol. i, Tay. B, p. 11. 
DLA xdhye vies, ale 
6 Nova Acta Ac. Ces. Leop.-Car. vol. xix. supp. ii. p. 322. 
7 Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xx, p. 74, pl. xi. figs. 3a and 3b. 
