226 0. Feistmantel — Fossil Plants from Baniganj Coal-field. [Dec, 



age of the specimens. I think Mr. McClelland's Pecopt. affinis is to be 

 placed here. The same form occurs also in the Barakur group near 

 Cuttack. 



Of the Pecopterides there occurred two pinnae representing two species, 

 which, however, belong to the same group of mcsozoic ferns, viz. to the 

 group of the Aletdwpteris Wltithyensis, Gopp, which Schimj^er first indicat- 

 ed, but for which Saporta more recently advocates the genus Cladoplilehis, 

 Bgt. These two species are : — 



Aletliopteris Lindleyana, found in fructification, is closely analogous to 

 the AlethojJt. indica from Eajmahal and to the true Aletliopt. Whitlyen- 

 sis known as yet only from L. Oolite and Lias. This sjDecies we have also 

 in the Kach and Jabalpur groups. 



Besides these two species, there occurred a perfectly new type of Peco- 

 pterids which is A^ery closely connected with the hving Pliegopteris ; in the 

 fossil flora it belongs to the geniis Aletliopteris, so that I describe this very 

 fine form as Alethopt. pliegopteridoides. 



The Taenio]oterides are of especial interest, as being represented by just 

 such forms as exhibit very well the mesozoic character of the flora, and as 

 establishing the connection between the Lower and Upper Gondwanas. 



The Taeniopteris danaeoides, of which McClelland figured two speci- 

 mens, is the same as that which Eoyle called Glossopt. danaeoides, but 

 which has not been mentioned since the piiblication of McClelland's paper, 

 although it has occurred. Mr. Wood-Mason collected many specimens 

 of this species, and assures me that it is very frequent at Eaniganj. 

 According to the new classification of the Taeniopterides, these forms 

 fi'om Eaniganj belong to Schimper's subgenus Macrotaeniopteris. Another 

 big TaeniopteHs was also met with, but the specimens of it are in so frag- 

 mentary a condition that I cannot describe it. 



Amongst the Taeniopterides, I place the new genus Palaeovittaria : a 

 splendid- specimen contains about ten leaves of a fern, the shape of which 

 resembles that of Sagenopteris ; the midi'ib vanishes towards the apex ; and 

 the veins are not areolated, but pass out at a very acute angle from the 

 midrib towards the margin and are forked. In these respects the fossil 

 fern agrees, according to Mr. Km-z, only with the living Vittaria, so that I 

 establish it as new genus Palaeovittaria calling the species Palaeov. 

 Kurzi. Nowhere in the whole coal-measures has anything like it yet been 

 met with. 



The order I^ictyopterides, including all ferns with net-venation, is 

 also richly represented. The most interesting is a new genus which I call 

 Pelcmnopteris : the shape of the leaf is arrow-like, there are three chief 

 veins, and the other veins form areoles. This fossil fern has a very close 

 resemblance to Pteris sagittaefolia and to Hemionitis cordata, Eoxb., but 



