﻿Nematophyton crasstmi. 151 



AspiDiUM Booth, Tuckerm — (Shield Fern) — St. Michel 

 — August, 1896 — (Eeported by Dr. Holmes as A. cristahtm.) 



AsPiDiUM GoLDiANUM, Hook.^(Shield Fern) — Bagg's 

 Woods — August, 1896 — (Reported by Dr. Holmes from 

 Mount Royal.) 



AsPiDiUM ACROSTICHOIDES, Swartz. — (Christmas Fern) 

 — Bagg's Woods — August, 1896 — (Reported by Dr. 

 Holmes from Mount Royal.) 



DiCKSONiA PiLOSiuscuLA, Willd. — (Dicksonia) — Bagg's 

 Woods — August, 1896. 



Nematophyton crassum. 



By D. P. Penhallow. 



Since my last sunnnary of the genus Nematophyton, in 

 which eight species were enumerated,^ additional material 

 has been received, which, on the basis of more ample and 

 more perfectly preserved specimens, serves to extend and 

 confirm our previous knowledge of certain species. 



The specimen now under consideration was received 

 from Mr. F. K. Mixer, of the Buffalo Society of Natural 

 Sciences, who reports that it was obtained from the upper 

 part of the water-lime group (Lower Helderberg) of the 

 Upper Silurian. . Heretofore the occurrence of this genus, 

 at so low a horizon, has been confined to N. Hicksii, 

 N. Logani and, more recently, N, Storriei, all of which 

 have been from European localities, while N. Logani 

 has also been found sparingly and in fragmentary 

 specimens at Cap Bon Ami, New Brunswick. 



This is the first time the species now under consideration 

 has been observed in the Silurian of America, the lowest 

 and only horizon heretofore recorded being Middle Erian. 

 It, therefore, affords important testimony bearing upon 

 the great antiquity of the genus as a whole, and of 

 this species in particular. 



1 Ann. Bot. X., 4], 1896. 



