198 3Ir Seward, Notes on the Bunhury Collection [Mar. 12, 



our knowledge has been definitely advanced, and we are able 

 to transfer a fossil fern from a purely provisional genus to a 

 definite taxonomic position, it is undoubtedly wise to mark such 

 advance by the institution of a new term. 



It is fortunate that Raciborski has chosen a new generic title 

 and has not attempted to include the Jurassic species in any 

 existing Schizaceous genus. Nothing is more misleading than 

 the utterly unscientific and unjustifiable use of recent generic 

 names for fossil specimens which present some superficial re- 

 semblance to living forms, but which afford no trustworthy 

 evidence as to their connection with any existing genus or even 

 family. 



Bunbury's specimen shows portions of four pinn^_ attached 

 to a rachis, and one more clearly preserved detached pinna ; the 

 latter is represented, natural size, in fig. 5, the small dots on 

 the pinnules show the position of partially developed sporangia 

 which are visible on the upper surface. 



In fig. 4 we have a slightly magnified (x 3) drawing of the 

 under surface of a fertile pinnule with fully developed sporangia ; 



^ 3 ^ ' 



5 



Klukia exilis (Phill). 

 Fig. 1—3 X 40. Fig. 4x3. Fig. 5, nat. size. 



there appear to be five in each row, and the sporangia show more 

 or less distinctly the characteristic apical annulus. In some of 

 the pinnules the sporangia have a clearly marked line along which 

 longitudinal dehiscence has taken place. 



The detailed structure of the sporangia is shown in figs. 1 — 3 

 (x 40). In fig. 1 we have an apical view of a sporangium showing 

 about fourteen cells in the annulus ; at the apex there is a slight 

 central depression, which was no doubt originally occupied by 

 thin walled cells as in the recent Anemia^. Fig. 2 presents a 



1 See Luerssen, Grundziige der Botanik 1885, p. 319, fig. 170. 



