30 CYCADITES. 



Morrmamts, Dunk., 1 and which present a close agreement in habit 

 with the English specimens, we have only C. Romeri, Schenk, 

 among Wealden fronds with which to compare C. Saporta. The 

 differences between C. Romeri and the present species are, I 

 believe, too well marked to admit of a single specific designation. 



In view of the exceptionally large size of the Ecclesbourne 

 fronds, and the satisfactory manner of preservation, it is better to 

 adopt a new specific term, and I have ventured to identify the 

 name of the Marquis of Saporta with this new form of Lower 

 Cretaceous cycad. 



Since the above was written the Marquis of Saporta' s promised 

 Monograph on the Flore fossile du Portugal has been published. 

 A review of this valuable contribution to Mesozoic palreobotany 

 is given in the latter part of the present volume. Among the 

 very few remains of cycadean fronds described by Saporta, one 

 form of Cycadites appears under the name of C. tenuis$ctus,~ Sap., 

 and the figures of the frond fragments show a very distinct resem- 

 blance to the English specimens which I have referred to the new 

 species, C. Saporta. Possibly the Portuguese and British plants 

 should be placed in one species, but for the present at least, 

 there are certain differences to be noticed which hardly justify 

 this adoption of Saporta' s specific name. In the English fronds 

 the pinnae are somewhat stouter, the tips more sharply acuminate, 

 and the general habit of the leaf appears to be rather stiffer than 

 in C. tenuisectus. 



Erond pinnate, linear, of uniform breadth ; rachis broad and 

 flattened, marked with obliquely placed lines, terminating proxi- 

 mally in a broadened and swollen base. Pinna? of uniform breadth, 

 alternate or subopposite, attached to the upper surface of the 

 rachis, and inserted at right angles or slightly oblique to 

 the frond axis, the bases of the two rows of the pinnae almost 

 in contact; average length of the pinnae 6-7 cm., and 1-15 mm. 

 in breadth ; bases slightly broadened and contiguous, apices of 

 the long linear pinnae terminating in a sharp point ; single median 

 vein in each segment. 



In 1839 Korner instituted the species Cycadites Brongniarti 



1 Bunker (A. 2), "Wealdenbilduug, p. 16, pi. vii. fig. 1. 



2 (1), p. 171, pi. xxxii. figs. 1-4 and 6. 



