﻿1861.] 



BTJNBTJRY FOSSIL PLANTS, NAGPTJR. 



327 



notice of Morris's remarks. My observations, however, both on the 

 Nagpur specimens and on the numerous Australian ones which I 

 have examined, agree with those of Morris. The lateral veins 

 (which are very fine and close) are repeatedly forked near the 

 midrib, and there form, by the anastomosing of their branches, a 

 conspicuous reticulation, of which the meshes are somewhat oblong. 

 Towards the margin they become nearly parallel, forking very 

 sparingly, and anastomosing at long intervals, so as to form very 

 long and narrow meshes ; but still they do anastomose here and 

 there, even to the margin. The venation of the New South Wales 

 Glossopteris agrees in these characters with that of the Indian plant ; 

 and one of Brongniart's figures (fig. 1 a, pi. 62) represents the veins 

 correctly, though somewhat at variance with his own description. 



In the Nagpur specimens which I refer to this species, I find 

 some degree of variation in the fineness and closeness of the veins — 

 such an amount of difference, indeed, occasionally, as might at first 

 sight seem to imply a distinction of species ; but there are so many 

 intermediate gradations that I do not find it possible to draw the 

 line. I think it probable that these differences may depend partly 

 upon the age of the frond, partly, perhaps, upon various conditions 

 attending the fossilizing process, as I have observed that the apparent 

 closeness of the veins in some recent Ferns is influenced by circum- 

 stances in the process of drying. 



The position of the fructification is indicated in several of these 

 specimens by small round spots, very regularly arranged in 1 or 2 

 rows parallel to the margin — the outermost row at but a short 

 distance from the margin, the inner about half-way between the 

 outer and the midrib. When there is only one row, it is always 

 the inner one that is wanting. In these spots I can find no organic 

 structure at all, but only little lumps of the sandstone, as if not only 

 the sori themselves, but the very substance of the frond had decayed 

 or been displaced at these points. I think, however, from the regu- 

 larity of their form and arrangement, there can be no doubt that 

 they really indicate the places of the sori. 



I perceive no trace of scales on the midrib or stalk of even the 

 best-preserved specimens. 



M. de Zigno has expressed an opinion that the Glossopteris Brown- 

 iana had a compound or digitate frond, as the allied Sagenopteris 

 Phillipsii had ; indeed, he quotes a report that a specimen had been 

 found to establish this fact. I confess, however, that I can find 

 nothing in corroboration of his opinion. Among the numerous 

 specimens I have examined of the Indian Glossopteris (some of the 

 large slabs of stone from Silewarfa containing as many as ten or 

 twelve fronds), I can see nothing to indicate that the leaves were 

 portions of a divided or lobed frond, or were otherwise than simple 

 fronds, like those of our Hart's-tongue Fern, or of the Bird's-nest 

 Asphnium (A. nidus, L.). Neither can I find any different struc- 

 ture in this respect in the Australian specimens of Glossopteris that 

 I have seen, nor does McCoy mention any in his memoir. 



Dr. McClelland (Keport of the Geological Survey of India, 1850) has 



