FROM THE BUTTON COLLECTION". 81 



144. ? Impression of a large pinna or pinnule, having some- 

 what the appearance of a fern in vernation. 

 Loc. — Shale above the Beusham Seam, Jarrow. (H. C. 234). 



Remarks. — There can be no doubt about Cyclopteris being the 

 cauline or rachial leaves of Neuropteris. Mr. Kidston refers 

 the whole of the Brongniart and Lindley-Hutton species to 

 N. Loshii = N. heterophylla, Brongt., but the evidence in sup- 

 port of the opinion that they all belong to this one species of 

 JSTeuropteris is very small, and not sufficient to decide this ques- 

 tion. At present only very imperfect fragments of the fronds 

 of the different species of Neuropteris have been found or figured, 

 and until better evidence is produced and more perfect speci- 

 mens figured, it will be impossible to determine to which species 

 these splendid rachial, or it may be radical, leaves really belong, 

 as the veining of these leaves, their size and form, give no clue 

 to assist in their specific classification. 



NEUROPTERIS— In Vernation. 



(SPIROPTERIS, Schimper). 

 145.— Neuropteris in vernation. Plate 2, f. 1. 



This specimen, which is of an oval shape, shews the rachis or 

 stem of a frond curved round from left to right on the slab, 

 and giving off two Cyclopteris leaves and primary pinnae, 

 with secondary pinnaa bearing Neuropteris leaves or pinnules 

 on the left side. On the right side are distinctly seen two 

 primary pinnae, curving downwards and inwards towards the 

 centre and left side, and giving off secondary pinna which 

 shew traces on their sides, here and there, of Neuropteris 

 pinnules. The veining of the Cyclopteris leaves is seen 

 radiating off from the rachis on the left into the central mass 

 of the specimen ; and another Cyclopteris leaf is also seen on 

 the upper left side, with nerves radiating down towards the 

 centre and right and crossing the veining of the other Cyclop- 

 teris leaf. The great number of lines crossing each other tend 

 to perplex the eye, but the above points are distinctly seen. 

 The confusion of lines is still further increased by the min- 

 eralization of the carbonaceous matter which formed the mass 

 of the central portion of the specimen before being removed 

 from the matrix, and the shale is rather coarse and not of a 

 nature to receive the finest impressions ; but, notwithstanding, 



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