118 Mr. R. Kidston on Sphenopteris crassa. 



of the synonyms have been created by systematists who, dif- 

 fering in opinion as to the genus in which the plant should be 

 placed, appear to have thought that, on its being removed from 

 one genus to another, they were quite justified in also applying 



a new specific name. 



Since this fern was described by Lindley and Hutton in 

 1835, and the publication of Schimper's ' Traite de Pal^onto- 

 logie Veg&ale in 1869-74, three different designations have 

 been applied to it, in none of which was any trace of the 

 original name preserved. 



The first alteration was made bv Gonpert in his work c Die 



crassa 



) 



L. & H., with AdiantiteS) and gives it a new specific name 

 {pachyrrachis) , without assigning any reason for the change. 

 At that time the sole example which appears to have been 

 known to him was the original type specimen, as he only men- 

 tions Burdiehouse as its locality. Little excuse can be made 

 for such total disregard of priority of name. 



In 1845 Unger placed this fern in the genus Cyclopteris, 

 and retained Goppert's specific name for the species. The 

 same author five years later, in his 4 Genera et Species,' altered 

 the specific name to adtantoides, to avoid confusion, as another 

 Cyclopteris, from the Lias, had been described under the name 

 of Cyclopteris pachyrracMs. 



No further change took place in the designation of this plant 

 till 1869, when Schimper again placed it in the genus Adian- 



crass us 



My attention was specially directed to this fern when going 

 over the fossil plants in the Museum of Science and Art, Edin- 

 burgh. In the " Hugh-Miller Collection " were two speci- 

 mens from Burdiehouse, one of which agreed entirely with 

 the description and figure of Sphenopteris Kiowitzensis y Stur ; 

 but on the lower part of the specimen were a few pinnules 

 similar to those on the figure of & crassa, L. & H. 



From the original plate and description of Lindley and 

 Hutton I could not, however, determine whether the plant 

 described by Stur was a distinct species or only a more perfect 

 specimen of Sphenopteris crassa. 



On searching I was successful in finding the type of S. 



crassa 



geology in the University of Edinburgh, an examination of 



which at once showed 



H 



Miller collection," and the S. Kiowitzensis, Stur, belonged to 

 JS. crassa, L. & H. 



The type specimen shows the lower part of a frond, the 

 axis of which bifurcates about an inch above the base of the 

 portion which has been preserved. 













