1894.] of fossil plants, with a list of type specimens. 195 



of Macrozamia heteromera with divided leaves which suggest a 

 comparisou with such fossil forms as occur in the genus Baiera. 

 I do not wish to imply that we have at present any grounds for 

 emphasizing such resemblances, but would merely draw attention 

 to the existence of somewhat similar leaves among recent Cycads. 



Dictyopteris obliqua Bunb. (= B. Brongniarti Gutb.). 

 Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, Vol. III. 1847, p. 427, PI. xxi., fig. 2. 



Gape Breton, Nova Scotia. Goal-Measures. 



Bunbury describes the detached pinnules of this fern as " ob- 

 long, very obtuse, slightly convex, iisually more or less curved, 

 and sometimes in a remarkable degree ; at the base they are 

 oblique and slightly cordate, and evidently were attached to the 

 stalk at one point only, as in Neuropteris. The midrib is very 

 faint, often obsolete, and always vanishing far below the ex- 

 tremity of the leaflet ; the lateral veins prominent and strongly 

 marked, forming a regular and beautiful network with small 

 meshes, which are longest and narrowest near the middle of the 

 leaflet, becoming shorter and rounder towards the margins." The 

 author of the species suggests that possibly these pinnules may 

 be identical with Dictyopteris Brongniarti Gutb. On the whole 

 I agree with Kidston^ that it would be better to include 

 Bunbury 's species as a synonym of D. Brongniarti. Zeiller^ 

 has recently figured some detached Dictyopteris pinnules which 

 he does not refer to any species ; they appear to be practically 

 identical with those described by Bunbury. 



FiGUEED SPECIMENS OTHER THAN TYPES OF SPECIES. 



Neuropteris in circinate vernation. 



Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, Vol. xiv. 1858, p. 243. 



The figure of what Bunbury considered, and probably correctly, 

 to be a young frond of Neuropteris gigantea Sternb. hardly does 

 justice to the beautifully preserved specimen from the Oldham 

 Coal-Measures. The hairs on the rachis mentioned in the de- 

 scription are not obvious, but it is reasonable to suppose that 

 such were actually present. The figure shows an apparently 

 shaded structure at right angles to the frond tip ; this is merely 

 a fractured surface in the stone. 



After describing this example of circinate vernation, Bunbury 

 proceeds to discuss the afiinities of Neuropteris ; the following 

 remarks are worth quoting as being in close agreement with the 

 views of the late Dr Stur. "It is certainly not very easy to 



1 Cat. Pal. plants, B. M. 1886, p. 103. 



2 Bass, houill. et Perm. Brive. 1892, p. 47, PI. ix. fig. 2. 



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