10 NOTES ON THE DISCOVERY OF A KEW FOSSIL FUTJIT. 



leads, at Haddon, Victoria), is most important, as it affords 

 satisfactory evidence in determining the relationship and 

 geological horizon of the deep layer of the stanniferous 

 drift where the fruit was embedded. 



The following description of the new species of fossil 

 fruit, together with TDhotogxaphic views of various sections 

 of the same, will be oi much interest to palseontologists : — 



CARPOLITHES (PLESIOCAPPARIS) CLARKII, 



nov. sp. 



Fruit lignified, roundly ovate, indehiscent, about 2^ 

 inches long, and 2 inches broad, when freshly removed 

 froim the moist lignitic clay. 



The lignified pericarp is soft and plastic, and may 

 be cleanly sliced with a sharp razoir, when freshly removed 

 from the moist lignitic clay in which it had been em- 

 bedded ; but after removal dries quickly, contracts and 

 becomes hard, distorted, and brittle, exhibiting deep 

 cracks or fractures. TJie pericarp^ is, relatively, very 

 thick, measuring five-eighths of an inch, or nearly one- 

 third of the total diameter of the fruit. The cavity is 

 depressedly globular, measuring about 1 inch, in its ver- 

 tical diameter, and | of an inch, transversely. When 

 the pericarp was opened, in the line of on© of its principal 

 fractures, the whole cavity appeared to be filled with a 

 series of closely compressed, concavely laminated, wing- 

 like seeds. These wmg-like seeds filling the whole cavity 

 are minutely striated longitudinally, and closely enfolded 

 in curved shell-like layers. There were no distinct pro- 

 tuberant portions discernible on the wingeid seeds such as 

 shown in figs. 11, PI. VI. (F. von Mueller's Observations 

 on New Vegetable Fossils of the Auriferous Drifts, Vol. I., 

 Geol. Survey of Victoria), under the specified name of 

 Plesiocapparis prisca, F. von M. 



The external surface of the pericarp is microscopic- 

 ally verrucose and much less pronouncedly rugose as com- 

 pared with the pericarp surface of P. prisca. ' 



The specific name of the new species of fruit from the 

 Briseis Mine is given in honour of its discoverer, Mr. 

 Lindesay Clark, the niining manager. 



