84? PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [DeC. 3, 



1. Pecopteris EMARGINATA. 

 Plate VI. 

 P. fronde pinnata (?) : pinnis ligulatis obtusis late et obtusissime crenatis ; basi 

 subcontractis ; costa valida apice attenuata ; venis costae subperpendicularibus 

 pinnatis ; venulis valde obliquis, infimis in angulum acutum confluentibus ; soris 

 rotundis confertis inter venas biserialibus. 



2. Pecopteris elliptica (n. sp.). 



Plate VIL 



P. fronde bipinnata : pinnulis ellipticis oblongisque convexis integerrirais apice 

 rotundatis basi contractis discretis remotiusculis ; venis obliquis prope basin 

 furcatis ; soris subrotundis confertissimis. 



This plant, from the same locality as the foregoing, appears to be 

 new ; at least I can find no description or figure well-agreeing with 

 it in the works of Brongniart, Lindley and Hutton, or Goppert. 

 The figure of Pecopteris adiantoides (Fossil Flora, vol. i, t. 37) has 

 most resemblance to it in the form of the pinnules; but neither the 

 plate nor the description of that species gives sufficient details to 

 enable us to say whether it be the same. The fructification of 

 P. adiantoides appears to be unknown. 



The frond of our plant is apparently bipinnate. The insertion of 

 the pinnae on the main stalk is not very satisfactorily shown in our 

 specimens, but there are no appearances indicating that they were 

 decurrent along it, as in P. gigantea. The barren pinnules are 

 considerably convex, wider apart than in most species of Pecopteris, 

 quite distinct from one another, and contracted at the base, so that 

 their form is pretty accurately elliptical, though rather oblique. 

 The veins are similar to those of P. gigantea^ except that the fork- 

 ing takes place very near to the midrib. The fructiferous pinnules 

 are rather longer and narrower than the others, and of more equal 

 breadth throughout, oblong rather than elliptical, and more sud- 

 denly contracted at the base. The fructification covers their whole 

 surface, obliterating the side veins, and almost the midrib ; it has 

 the appearance of roundish spots, so much crowded that their ar- 

 rangement is scarcely distinguishable ; but I think I can perceive 

 traces of their having formed two rows on each side of the midrib. 

 On one of the pinnae in a specimen in my possession, part of the 

 pinnules are barren and part fertile, so that there can be no doubt 

 of their belonging to the same plant. 



I am not acquainted with any recent fern which closely resembles 

 this species; but its nearest affinities are probably to be sought 

 among the PolypodecB, Aspidece^ or CyathecB. In very many ferns 

 of these tribes, the fructification is at first in distinct spots, which 

 become confluent when they have attained to maturity, and cover 

 the under side of the frond almost entirely ; and such appears to 

 have been the case in the plant before us. 



The third of these fossil ferns which I would mention is not in- 

 deed in a very satisfactory condition, but I have thought it worth 

 noticing on account of its very remarkable fructification. It nearly 

 agrees (except in size) with the Danceites asplenioides of Goppert*; 

 , * Systema Fil. Fossil, p. 381. tab. 19. fig. 4, 5. 



