182 



BECEXESIA. 



Cf. Becklesia anomala, sp. nov. 



[PI. XIV. Fig. 1.] 



V. 2608. PI. XIV. Fig. 1. (J nat. size.) 



The nature of this specimen is very doubtful, and its imperfect 

 preservation does not allow of any accurate description. Length 

 46 cm., breadth about 1 cm. From the central flattened axis a 

 number of comparatively straight lateral branches are given off 

 at irregular intervals; many of these appendages are separated 

 from one another by about 1'5 cm., and have a breadth of 3cm.; 

 they are linear in form and of a uniform breadth ; one branch, in 

 which the tip is not shown, measures 13cm. There appear to be 

 a small number of parallel veins in each segment. In some cases 

 the branches appear to bifurcate close to the point of attachment 

 to the central axis. Possibly we have here a larger specimen of 

 Becklesia, but the occurrence of branches on both sides of the axis 

 makes it difficult to be at all certain as to specific or even generic 

 identity with the previous specimens. Among recent plants there 

 is a form of Macrommia heteromera, M. lieteromera var. glauca, 

 Moore, 1 in which the bifurcate pinnse bear a certain resemblance 

 to the Wealden fossil, but in the former the more regular dis- 

 position of the segments affords an important point of divergence. 

 Cf. Schenk's Frenelopsis Hoheneggeri (Ett.), 3 as shown in pi. v. 

 figs. 1 and 2 ; also Camptopteris spiralis, Jfath. 3 Beckles Coll. 



V. 2359. Two detached forked segments, probably the same as 

 V. 2608. 



1 Moore, p. 5. 



2 Schenk, loc. cit. 



3 ^Nathorst, loc. cit. 



