FROM THE HUTTON COLLECTION. 67 



Remarks. — The Type of Lindley and Hutton's Sphen. obovata, 

 ■which, is fortunately still in the collection, is stated to be from 

 the Newcastle Coal-field, and to have been communicated to the 

 authors of the "Fossil Flora" by T. Allan, Esq., Lauriston 

 Castle, Edinburgh. Their ch-awing was published in Jan., 1834. 



Sphenopteris excelsa, L. et H., Foss. Flora, pi. 212, was pub- 

 lished in 1837, and it is stated to be also from the Newcastle 

 Coal-field. The Type-specimen of this was not found in the 

 Hutton Collection, but there was a specimen which was not 

 difficult to identify as the same species. 



From the first examination of these it was clear there was 

 some error as to the locality, as they were on shale of a very 

 different character to any found in this district, but they were 

 like each other as to the matrix. Comparing them with some 

 specimens from the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, it was not diffi- 

 cult to arrive at the conclusion that they had been sent to 

 Newcastle by the gentleman mentioned in the text. This I 

 pointed out to Mr. Kidston on his first visit to inspect the Hutton 

 Collection. Now it happens that the Lindley-Hutton Type of 

 Sphen. Hoeninghausi is on identically the same kind of shale, and 

 without doubt from the same locality and donor, and it is not at 

 all related to Sphen. Hoeninghausi, Brongt., but is identically the 

 same as Sphen. obovata, pi. 109, of the "Fossil Flora," where it is 

 erroneously stated that "our specimen is from Felling Colliery." 

 How these mistakes originated (for they are serious mistakes, as 

 this plant is peculiar to the Calciferous Sandstone) I do not 

 know. Others also who have examined this specimen carefully 

 have apparently failed to detect that it was a Calciferous Sand- 

 stone specimen from the neighbourhood of Edinburgh. 



Lindley and Hutton described this handsome fern, Sphenopteris 

 obovata, from a fragment, first in 1834. Then Groppert in his 

 usual manner alters their name to Adiantites microphyttus. Then 

 Lindley and Hutton, unconscious that they had described the 

 same fern before, gave it two new names, Sphenopteris Hoening- 

 hausi and S. excelsa, plates 204 and 212 respectively. The name 

 first given in the Fossil Flora, Sphen. obovata, is decidedly the 

 most characteristic, and should be retained for the species. At 



