SAGENOP1ERIS. 161 



of T. major, as Nathorst suggests ; l but the type-specimen in the 

 Scarborough Museum is too imperfect and indistinct to enable 

 one to form any decided opinion as to its nature ; the veins are 

 too indefinite to be made out. It is probably wiser under these 

 circumstances to omit this ' species,' which has been referred to 

 by Sternberg, Morris, Zigno, and others as Tteniopten's ovalis, from 

 the list of synonyms. 



10,375. Two imperfectly preserved fronds with similar venation 

 to that of Tceniopteris vittata, but broader in proportion to their 

 length and with a narrower and less prominent midrib. Also 

 fragments of Sagenopteris Philltpsi, etc. 



Upper Sandstone, Gristhorpe. Mantell ColL 



39,219. A good specimen, showing a portion of the petiole. 



Bean Coll. 



Genus SAGENOPTERIS, Presl. 

 [Sternberg, Flor. Yorwelt, yii, p. 164, 1838.] 



The position of the genus Sagenopteris in the plant kingdom is 

 still undecided. More than one writer has placed this Mesozoic 

 plant in the Marsiliacese, 2 but, as I have elsewhere pointed out, 1 ' 

 the evidence on which this conclusion is based is hardly satisfactory. 

 While admitting the absence of such characters as might enable 

 us to speak with any degree of certainty as to systematic position, 

 I am disposed to regard Sagenopteris as probably a genus of ferns. 

 Fontaine 4 has figured some leaflets of Sagenopteris from the 

 Potomac beds bearing small dot-like elevations, which may be 

 the remains of sori or sporangia. He regards the specimens as 

 favouring the inclusion of Sagenopteris among the ferns. 



1 Nathorst (80 1 ), p. 63. 



2 Nathorst (78 3 ), p. 26 ; Potonie (99), p. 175. 



3 Seward (94 1 ), p. 129. 



* Fontaine (89), p. 149, pi. xxvii. figs. 9 and 11-17. 



M 



