112 MEDULLOSEAE [CH. 



from the Pas-de-Calais coal-field as microsporophyll fragments 

 of some Pteridosperm : he stated that similar specimens had 

 been found by Kidston in England. In a later work Carpentier 1 

 described the sporangia as crowded in groups (fig. 421, B) in the 

 substance of the thick lamina of Potoniea, and he connected the 

 fertile segments with Neuropteris gigantea, N. pseudogigantea 

 Pot. and Linopteris obliqua (Bunb.). Similar specimens are said 

 to have been found in Holland and Silesia. Bertrand 2 also 

 records the association of Potoniea with Neuropteris gigantea and 

 N. pseudogigantea : he describes some specimens as belonging to 

 N. gigantea Sternb. while others, distinguished only by small 

 differences, he attributes to N. pseudogigantea. Kidston 3 has 

 recently drawn attention to the inconstancy of the characters 

 mentioned by Potonie as distinguishing features of N. pseudo- 

 gigantea, and he shows good cause for referring the examples so 

 named to N. gigantea. The fertile lamina is almost orbicular 

 in surface- view and attached to a slightly excentric pedicel ; the 

 microsporangia are borne on the low r er surface and probably in 

 groups as described by Carpentier. 



Neuropteris Carpentieri Kidston. Kidston 4 has recently de- 

 scribed some fertile leaflets under this name from the Westphalian 

 series of South Staffordshire which he identifies with French 

 examples referred by Carpentier 5 to Potoniea adiantiformis Zeill. 

 The fertile pinnules are thick and sub-cyclopteroid in form; the 

 upper surface bears densely packed, narrow and long, micro- 

 sporangia, 4 x 0-5 mm., containing more or less spherical micro- 

 spores 45 60 /z in diameter; the ventral face of the lamina on 

 the removal of the spores shows several strong veins. With 

 these are associated sterile pinnules of the Neuropteroid type, 

 and examples are described intermediate between the sterile and 

 fertile leaflets. Kidston believes the specimens to be micro- 

 sporophylls of some species of Neuropteris, but as the material 

 does not suffice for identification with any known species a 

 new name is proposed. It is pointed out that in some states of 



1 Carpentier (13) p. 387, PI. x. figs. 16. 



2 Bertrand, P. (13) p. 125. 3 Kidston (14) p. 108. 



4 Ibid. p. 112, PI. vm. figs. 17. 



5 Carpentier (11) p. 13, PI. xvi. fig. 1. 



