EE01I THE HUTTON COLLECTION. 69 



the same number on the left ; pinnules much divided, but 

 with no impression of mid-rib on them as in the true S. /ar- 

 eata. Eachis with distinct mid-rib. 

 Loc. — Shale above the Bensham Seam, Jarrow. (H. C. 186J. 



108. — HijmenophylUtes furcata, Brongt. (Sphe?iopteris sp., Lebour, 



111. Foss. Pits., pi. 41). Type. 

 Very fine typical specimen ; much branched, and leaves much 

 divided, narrow, and with distinct mid-rib. 

 Loc. — Shale above the Bensham Seam, Jarrow. (H. C. 187). 



109. Portion of two fronds ; pinnas alternate, palmate, and 



very much divided. 



Loc. — Shale above the High-Main Seam, Gosforth? {H. C. — ). 



Remarks. — It ought not to surprise us, considering the small 

 fragments of fern fronds that Brongniart had to describe from, 

 that he made a few synonyms. It is more to he regretted that 

 authors since his time, and with better materials, have gone on 

 increasing the nomenclature with injurious additions. 



The first specimen, JNo. 107, seems to have been referred by 

 Lindley and Hutton to S. furcata, Brongt., with some hesitancy, 

 and if we had only the Hutton drawing to refer to, and only the 

 one specimen just mentioned, we might well be excused for a 

 passing doubt also ; but the drawing is not quite correct and the 

 coarse shale and pressure together have combined to obliterate 

 some of the characters, and so made the reading less easy. But 

 comparing the Hutton Type with S. trichomanoides, Brongt., and 

 with the fine specimen, JS"o. 108, figured in the Illustrations, 

 and several others, it seems impossible to doubt the specific iden- 

 tity of all the examples referred to above. It is like all species 

 having a long range in time and space very variable in appear- 

 ance ; the segments of the pinnules varying much in length, 

 width, and number, and the simple veining is not always apparent 

 or preserved. It must also be known by every observer that 

 among recent ferns remarkable variations occur in fronds of dif- 

 ferent age and state and place of growth, and the same thing 

 occurs in the remains of the luxuriant vegetation of the Coal- 

 measure period. It is evident that 8. laxa, Sternb., belongs to 

 this species and not to S. Artemisicefolia. 



