KNOWLTON: THE STUDY OF FOSSIL FERNS 109 
of Pittston, Pennsylvania, of not far from 100,000 speci- 
mens of coal plants, a majority of which are ferns. Some 
of these are truly magnificent specimens, showing that 
there were tree ferns then existing with fronds that must 
have spread a dozen or twenty feet, as well as a host of 
smaller forms. 
The digging out and collecting of focal ferns is very 
interesting, not to say exciting. There is always the 
possibility before one that the next blow of the hammer 
may bring forth something new and wonderful, the like — 
en era has never been seen by mortal eye. Perhaps it 
oS a wholly new type, or possibly a fruiting specimen 
a ‘that cat settle for all time the position of a group previ- _ 
ously unplaced. A case of the latter once fell to the lot 
of Mr. David White, of the U. S. Geological Survey. He 
was collecting Carboniferous plants at Nuttall, West 
Virginia, when a fortunate blow revealed a delicate ‘“‘fern,” 
since named Aneimites fertilis, which had seeds attached — 
to the tips of its reduced pinnules, and on the instant a ce 
great group of supposedly true ferns was transferred to 
the then newly discovered group of pteridosperms, the __ 
first to be recorded for this country. Other similar diss 
_ coveries had preceded and have followed this, in England oe 
and France, and now it is well known that. the seed- ae 
bearing habit had been’ acquired el ferns” = — 
before the advent of flowering plan se a 
One of the most interesting reer “a the e writer a 
Wie gre = — was near J Ces nta- 
