Oil the Fructification of two Coal-measure Ferns. 51o 



In Renaultia, to which Cyclotheca has also some affinity in 

 the structure of tlie sporangia, the sporangia are situated at 

 the extremities of the veins either singly or in groups of 

 from two to five. Cyclotheca differs from both these genera 

 in the sporangia, being circular and arranged in two parallel 

 rows — probably one row was situated on each side of the 

 midrib of the fruiting pinnule. 



Cyclotheca belongs to the Marattiaceae, and is more closely 

 related by the structure of its sporaugia to Angiopteris than 

 to any other recent genus. 



Cyclotheca hisericda, Kidston, n. s. 

 (PL XXL, figs. 10-12.) 



Description. — Characters of genus. The sporangia measure 

 •50 millim. in diameter, and their walls are composed of small 

 cells not elongated more in one direction than the other. 



Ecjnarks. — This species is founded on a single specimen 

 which was collected by Mr P. Jack near Baillieston. Fig. 

 10 shows the fossil, natural size. It consists of several 

 pinnae lying on each side of the rachis, of which a small 

 fragment is shown towards the centre of the figure. With 

 the exception of this fragment of rachis there is nothing 

 preserved in the fossil but the parallel rows of sporangia. 

 These are well preserved and shown at fig. 11, magnified six 

 and a half times. At fig. 12 are given four sporangia, 

 magnified twenty times. Although no trace of a midrib is 

 shown, one probably lay between the parallel rows of 

 sporangia. 



The small specimens originally figured by Lesquereux as 

 Staphylo'pteris asteroides ^ probably belong to the ^''enus 

 Cyclotheca. 



It is impossible to say to which fern the Baillieston 

 fructification belongs. As the fruiting portion of ferns often 

 assumes an outline so entirely different from that of the barren 

 condition, I refrain from any suggestion upon this point. 



Locality. — EUismuir, Baillieston, Lanarkshire. 



Horizon. — Lower Coal-measures : shales above the " Kil- 

 longue " Coal. 



1 Rep, Geol. Survey of Illiii,, vol. iv., pi. xiv,, figs. 8-10. 



