﻿characteristic portions of stem. E. Burchardti Dunkler is interesting 

 from the well-preserved tubers on the rhizome, obviously of the 

 same nature as those of certain recent horsetails. A new species, 

 E. YokoyameB, is very similar. The constancy of the Equisetum 

 type is very remarkable. It now appears that the genus already 

 existed in the Coal-period, side by side with its gigantic relatives 

 the Calamites. Among Ferns referred to the Polypodiacea, Onychi- 

 o}m* Muntelli is first described. This is the Sphenopteri* .1 

 Brongniart. Its resemblance to Onychium was first recognised by 

 the Japanese palseobotanist Yokoyama. The specimens are of con- 

 siderable interest, as well-preserved fertile pinnae are found on some 

 of the fronds. A rhizome which probably belongs to the same 

 fern is also figured. 



The author criticises severely and justly the extraordinary 

 multiplication of species by Fontaine, who describes no less than 

 forty fossil species of Thyrsopteris, from sterile fronds or their 

 fragments only. Such a procedure certainly seems calculated 

 to bring fossil Botany into contempt. A new species of Acro- 

 stichopteris, A. Rujfordi, is described, but unfortunately it shows 

 no fructification. 



Two genera, referred on good grounds to the Cyatheaeem, are 

 Matonidium Gopperti (Ett.) shows fertile as well as 

 sterile segments, and in the Berlin specimens the sporangia, which 

 have an oblique annulus, have been discovered. Protopteris Wittamu 

 Schenk is the stem of a tree-fern, the anatomy of which is sufficiently 

 well preserved to leave no doubt of its affinities. It appears to 

 resemble Dicksonia most closely. 



A new genus, Rufordia, is founded for the reception of Mantell's 

 Sphenopteris Phillipsii, which is placed provisionally in the Schizacca: 

 Fertile and sterile pinnae are preserved, and bear a considerable 

 resemblance to those of Anemia adiantifolia. The forms are very 

 variable, but Mr. Seward wisely declines to multiply species, and 

 includes them all under R. Gopperti (Dunk.). 



The remaining ten genera "afford no trustworthy evidence as 

 to their affinities with existing families" (p. 87), and though they 

 include some very fine specimens of fronds (as, for example, Weich- 

 sdia Mantelli (Brong.), figured in Plate X.), they need not be dwelt 

 on here. Dictyophyllum was originally described as a Dicotyledon, 

 on account of its reticulate venation. Schenk discovered the son, 

 and so proved it to be a fern. This is a good illustration (if any 

 were needed) of the small value of external vegetative characters. 



The curious fossil Tempskya Schimperi Oorda ( = Endogenites 

 erosa Stokes & Webb) is discussed at length, and its true nature 

 seems to be established, though the particular fern to which it 

 belongs remains doubtful. The author sums up his conclusions as 

 follows (p. 158): — "In Tempskya Schimperi we have masses of 

 branched diarc fern roots associated with petiole axes, which 

 occasionally afford evidence of branching ; probably some forms of 

 Tempskya and Protopteris are very closely related, if not identical 

 plants ; but, so far as English specimens are concerned, there is 

 an absence of any direct proof of such organic connection between 



