170 
Miscellaneous. 
known calcareous sponge possesses long curved and undulating 
uniaxial spicules.” Any one who looks into Hackel’s monograph 
on the Calcispongia will see that such is far from being the case, 
several species of calcareous sponges possessing well-marked spicules 
of this form. My excuse is, that I was unable to consult Hackel’s 
work at the time of writing my paper, and that my last refer¬ 
ence to it dates some four years back, when my interest in the 
Calcispongia was of a more general kind, and not directed to special 
points of detail. 
With regard to the axial canals of calcareous spicules I may take 
the opportunity to add now that I have come across some large 
deciduous triradiate forms in which these canals have become 
much enlarged by solution, and are indeed almost as obvious as in 
the generality of deciduous siliceous spicules. 
I am, Gentlemen, 
Your obedient servant, 
W. J. Sollas. 
University College, Bristol, 
Jan. 8, 1879. 
On the new Palceozoic Plant-Group Dolerophyllece. 
By M. G. du Sajporta. 
In April 1878 the author communicated to the Academy a note 
on a new genus of fossil Gymnosperms, for which he proposed the 
name of Doleropliyllum. It was founded in part on the existence 
of certain large conical buds referred by Goppert to the Musaceae, 
and also upon leaves previously regarded as leaflets of Nceggerathia 
or of ferns, and clearly allied to Doleropteris , Grand-Eury. In the 
opinion of the latter, Doleropteris, Rhacophyllum, and Aphlebia con¬ 
stituted forms wavering between Noeggerathice and ferns, the true 
nature of which has still to he determined. 
The author has now studied specimens of Doleropliyllum obtained 
from M. Grand-Eury and also those in the museum at Paris, where 
he had the cooperation of M. Renault, and he is preparing a me¬ 
moir on the subject in conjunction with that gentleman. In the 
meantime he communicates the results of their joint studies. 
The Dolerophylla constitute a group, probably an order, that of 
the Dolerophylleae, equally distinct from the Salisburiese, represented 
in the Carboniferous by Gingkopkyllum , and from the Cordai'tese, to 
which, however, this order is somewhat allied by means of certain 
forms recently observed in America by Mr. Lesquereux. 
The leaves of the Dolerophylleae, hitherto generally confounded 
with the leaflets of the Neuropteroid ferns under the names of 
Cardiopteris, Cyclopteris , Nephropteris , and Aphlebia, are clearly 
separated from these by their structure. They are simple, sessile, 
broadly oval or orbicular, and auriculate at the base, thick, encir¬ 
cled by a cartilaginous border, and constantly present a great num¬ 
ber of flabellato-dichotomous nervures, which diverge from the point 
of attachment and radiate towards the margin, often bifurcating 
several times. The epidermis was of considerable relative thickness, 
