﻿284 Reports and Proceedings^ — 



which the above genera of fossil fishes have been supposed to be 

 distinguished in the case of specimens from the Carboniferous 

 series. In Amhlypterus he distinguished five types among the 

 species referred to that genus by Agassiz, viz. : — I. Of A. latus ; 11. 

 A. macropterus = genus B'habdolepis, Trosch. ; III. Of A. strialus 

 == CosmoptijcMus, g. n. ; IV. Of A. nemopterus = genus Elonichthys, 

 Gieb. ; V. Of A. pmictatiis = Gonatodiis, g. n. In Falcsoniscus he 

 distinguished the following types : — I. Of -P. Freieslebeni ; II. Of -P. 

 Uuvernoyi = genus- Amblypterus, Ag. ; III. Of P. striolatus = genus 

 Elonichtlii/s, Gieb. ; of P. ornatissimus = Rhadinichiliys, g.n. ; VI. Of 

 glaphyrus = Acentrophoriis, g. n. ; VII. Of P. catopterus = genus 

 Dietyopyge, Egert. He further discussed at great length the charac- 

 ters and affinities of the genera Oyrolepis and Pygopterva, the former 

 of which he regarded as untenable, on the ground of its being- 

 founded on fragmentary remains of fishes belonging to several other 

 genera ; and the latter as divisible into the following groups : — I. 

 Type of F. Humholdtii, Permian only ; II. Type of P. Bucldandi=^ 

 ElonicJithys, Gieb, ; III. Type of P. GreenocJdi^^Nematoptychius, 

 g. n. There are no Carboniferous species of Pygopterus proper. 



2. '' On the Circinate Vernation, Fructification, and Varieties of 

 Splienopteris affinis, and on Staphylopteris ? Peachli, Etheridge and 

 Balfour, a Genus of Planis new to British Bocks." By C. W. Peach, 

 Esq., A.L.S. Communicated by Eobert Etheridge, Esq., F.R.S., 

 V.P.G.S. 



The author noticed the occurrence in the Carboniferous shales near 

 West Calder (Edinburgh) of abundant remains of the fern described 

 by Lindley and Hutton as Splienopteris affinis, dwelling especially 

 on the circinate vernation and supposed fructification of the plant. 

 "With it were found many fragments of small flower-like plants, 

 which had been referred to the genus Stapkylopteria, Presl, the 

 fructification especially resembling that ascribed to that genus. The 

 author considered that in all pi-obability the Staphylopteris was 

 parasitic upon the Splienopteris, perhaps after the fashion of Cuscuta 

 upon flowering plants. 



Discussion.— Mr. Carrutliers spoke in high terms of appreciation of Mr. 

 Peach's work in nearly all departments of Natural History. The greatest credit 

 "was due to him for his exceedingly careful observations. At the same time Mr. 

 Carruthers was compelled to differ from him with regard to the plants which had 

 been brought before the Society on this occasion. The structure of the fruit in 

 some of Stur's coal-plants is the same as in the living Hymenophyllum, consisting of 

 two valves peculiarly arranged, the lower pinnae of the fronds being fertile and 

 modified aecordingly. The same thing seems to have occurred in Splienopteris affinis, 

 except that the lower pinnte retained their normal structure, and the apical pinnae 

 were modified as the fruit-beariug portion, which had been regarded as forming the 

 peculiar genus Staphylopteris. 



3. "On the Occurrence of a Maarurous Becapod [Antlirapalcemon 

 Woodioardi, sp. no v.) in the Bed Sandstone, or Lowest Group of the 

 Carboniferous Formation in the South-East of Scotland," By Eobert 

 Etheridge, Esq., Jun., F.G.S. 



After giving a detailed bibliography of the Palaeozoic Malacostra- 

 cous Crustacea, the author described the remains of a small Crus- 

 tacean from the lower group of the Carboniferous formation near 



