Genus Pothocites, Pater son. 303 



Towards the outer margins of the spike these only appear 

 as dentate longitudinal lines. 



Only the two lower segments show the cast of the original 

 plant in situ (fig, 6) ; and although it lias suffered much from 

 compression, it stands out in considerable relief. The outer 

 surface is also badly preserved ; but still it shows what appear 

 to be the same peculiar stellate bodies, so well shown on Potho- 

 cites Grantonii. 



These do not seem to have been observed by Mr. Etheridge ; 

 but it is only on a small portion of the specimen, towards the 

 right-hand margin of the basal segment, that they can be 

 deciphered. They are so small that very favourable illumi- 

 nation is necessary for their detection. 



The spike, as shown by the impression and the cast, has 

 the general appearance of the longitudinal ridges being crossed 

 by transverse bars, as mentioned by Mr. Etheridge. 



The stellate bodies are situated at the extremities of these 

 cross markings, which are connecting-ridges. 



From the imperfect preservation of the little " stars," the 

 transverse bars form a more prominent characteristic on this 

 fossil than they do in better-preserved examples. 



The little branch to which the spike is attached measures 

 one inch and a fifth in length, and shows two swollen nodes. 



The second internode is slightly larger than that next to 

 the fruit. The presence of distinctly marked nodes and inter- 

 nodes, which are even better shown in two of the following 

 specimens than in this one, throws great light on the systematic 



position of these fossil plants. 



Mr. Etheridge, in his description of this specimen, says 

 u that the longitudinal divisions of the cylindrical head were 

 apparently crossed by transverse ridges, which may perhaps 

 be caused by imperfect preservation or some peculiar state of 

 the scattered rounded or quadrangular bodies mentioned by 



Dr. Paterson." 



My examination of this example quite corroborates Mr. 

 Etheridge's views in regard to these surface-markings. 



The true nature of these bar-like markings is much better 

 indicated in the Eskdale plant, where they are shown to be 

 merely elevated ridges, extending from one sporangium to 

 another. 



Pothocites Patersoni, R. Eth., Jun. 



(PL XL figs. 9 and 10.) 



* 



This examp^/is preserved in a similar shale to the previous 



Bot 



