46 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



of Old Eed Sandstone ("yellow sandstone" of Sir Richard Griffith), 

 which rises gradually from beneath the limestone plain to heights of 

 400 or 500 feet, and in some places, as near Jerpoint, to as much as 

 800 feet above the sea level. 



The beds of fine grained greenish sandstone dip at a very slight 

 angle, and separate easily into slabs of large size, some of them being 

 covered by plant remains ; the surfaces of these slabs are sometimes 

 stained quite black, probably with manganese or iron, and are very 

 disappointing when found in this state. The most frequent plant is 

 PalcBopUris, Hihernicus ; first noticed by the late Professor Edward 

 Forbes at the Belfast meeting of the British Association in 1853, under 

 the provisional name of Cyclopteris, afterwards referred to Adiantites 

 by M. Adolphe Brongniart, and now placed by Professor Schimper in 

 his genus Pal^opteris — that eminent authority, in his valuable work, 

 " Traite de Paleontologie V^getale," stating that it difi'ers from Cy- 

 clopteris in the arrangement of its leafiets, and from Adiantites in its 

 mode of fructification. 



Magnificent fronds of this, the most ancient fern, are impressed upon 

 the slabs with remarkable distinctness, so much so that even the vena- 

 tion on the leaflets is clearly discernible. Some of these fronds are 

 between four and five feet long and three feet broad. The peculiar 

 mode of fructification by a transformation of sterile into fertile pinnules 

 is well shown in some specimens, and so also is the basal portion of 

 the frond. Two additional species of fossil ferns have been described 

 by me from this place under the names of Sphenopteris Hooheri and 

 S. Humphresia7ium, both of which are comparatively rare. 



Another plant, frequent at Kiltorcan, having a fluted or ribbed 

 stem, its upper portion branching, I formerly considered to be identical 

 with Sagenaria Velthiemiana. Professor Schimper, however, who had 

 frequent opportunities of comparing its fruit with that of S. Velthiemia7ia, 

 assures me that it difi'ers greatly from that species ; believing it to be 

 an undescribed plant, he has named it Sagenaria Bailyana. The central 

 axis of this plant is seen in some specimens, indicating its loose texture 

 and its alliance to Sigillai'ia. 



A fine example of this plant was discovered by me and Mr. Alex. 

 M'Henry, who assisted me in these explorations. After excavating to 

 a depth of about four feet, we uncovered a portion of the stem and 

 traced it out as far as possible ; it rested on the surface of a bed which 

 was much jointed, consequently it was not possible to preserve it 

 entire. Careful sketches and exact measurements were however made 

 by me on the spot. Unfortunately we could not get at the termination 

 to see if the stigmaria-like roots were attached; this must remain a 

 problem until further excavations can be made. 



The total length of this specimen was 20 feet 4 inches, the stem at 

 its lowest portion being six inches in diameter. It commenced to 

 branch at 15 feet from the visible termination ; after the first division 

 the branches are one and a half inches broad, continuing to diminish 

 until they became reduced to a quarter of an inch in breadth. 



