﻿326 
  SIGILLARIA 
  AND 
  GLOSSOPTEEIS 
  IN 
  SOUTH 
  AFRICA. 
  [Aug. 
  1 
  89 
  7. 
  

  

  Equisetaceous 
  plant. 
  It 
  is 
  possible 
  that 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  the 
  impression 
  

   of 
  a 
  Calamite, 
  such 
  as 
  0. 
  ramosus, 
  Brongn., 
  as 
  figured 
  by 
  Weiss, 
  1 
  but 
  

   the 
  evidence 
  hardly 
  justifies 
  the 
  reference 
  to 
  this 
  genus. 
  

  

  PI. 
  XXIV. 
  fig. 
  2. 
  This 
  figure 
  represents 
  a 
  portion 
  (7*5 
  cm.) 
  of 
  

   a 
  long 
  cast 
  of 
  a 
  stem, 
  26*5 
  cm. 
  in 
  length 
  and 
  2 
  cm. 
  broad. 
  In 
  the 
  

   part 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  figure 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  prominent 
  transverse 
  ridge 
  at 
  n, 
  

   which 
  no 
  doubt 
  marks 
  the 
  position 
  of 
  a 
  node. 
  The 
  transverse 
  

   ridge 
  may 
  represent 
  the 
  projecting 
  zone 
  of 
  wood 
  which 
  characterizes 
  

   the 
  nodal 
  region 
  of 
  a 
  Calamitean 
  stem, 
  but 
  the 
  exact 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  

   specimen 
  must 
  be 
  left 
  doubtful. 
  

  

  Sigtllaria 
  Brardi 
  (Brongn.). 
  

  

  Brongniart, 
  ' 
  Class. 
  Veg. 
  foss.' 
  (1822) 
  p. 
  22 
  & 
  pi. 
  i. 
  fig. 
  5. 
  

  

  (PI. 
  XXIII. 
  fig. 
  2 
  & 
  PI. 
  XXII. 
  fig. 
  3. 
  Also 
  text-figs. 
  2a-p, 
  p. 
  327 
  

  

  and 
  3, 
  p. 
  329.) 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  British 
  Association 
  Meeting 
  at 
  Liverpool 
  in 
  1896, 
  1 
  commu- 
  

   nicated 
  a 
  short 
  note 
  to 
  the 
  Geological 
  Section 
  ' 
  On 
  the 
  Discovery 
  of 
  a 
  

   Lepidodendroid 
  or 
  Sigillarian 
  Plant 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Draper 
  in 
  the 
  (Sand- 
  

   stone 
  of 
  Vereeniging, 
  associated 
  with 
  some 
  Typical 
  Members 
  of 
  the 
  

   Glossovteris-fioTa.' 
  A 
  more 
  complete 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  specimens 
  

   has 
  left 
  no 
  doubt 
  in 
  my 
  mind 
  that 
  at 
  least 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  casts 
  are 
  

   those 
  of 
  Sigtllaria, 
  and 
  in 
  all 
  probability 
  specifically 
  identical 
  with 
  

   the 
  well-known 
  S. 
  Brardi. 
  My 
  friend 
  Mr. 
  Kidston, 
  who 
  saw 
  the 
  

   specimen 
  exhibited 
  at 
  Liverpool, 
  expressed 
  himself 
  in 
  favour 
  of 
  Sigtl- 
  

   laria 
  rather 
  than 
  Lepidophloios, 
  as 
  was 
  suggested 
  in 
  my 
  preliminary 
  

   note. 
  M. 
  Zeiller 
  has 
  also 
  seen 
  the 
  best 
  specimen 
  and 
  agrees 
  with 
  

   the 
  reference 
  to 
  Brongniart's 
  species 
  of 
  Sigillaria. 
  A 
  comparison 
  

   of 
  the 
  specimen 
  shown 
  in 
  PI. 
  XXIII. 
  with 
  the 
  type-specimen 
  of 
  Sigil- 
  

   laria 
  Brardi 
  in 
  the 
  Paris 
  Natural 
  History 
  Museum 
  2 
  confirmed 
  me 
  

   in 
  the 
  above 
  identification. 
  

  

  The 
  specimen 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  is 
  seen 
  in 
  PL 
  XXIII. 
  fig. 
  2 
  

   measures 
  18'5 
  cm. 
  in 
  length, 
  and 
  about 
  12 
  cm. 
  in 
  breadth 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  

   form 
  of 
  a 
  fairly 
  well-marked 
  cast 
  on 
  sandstone 
  of 
  a 
  stem 
  covered 
  with 
  

   closely-set 
  and 
  spirally-disposed 
  leaf-scars. 
  The 
  leaf-scars 
  are 
  about 
  

   9 
  mm. 
  in 
  breadth 
  and 
  7 
  mm. 
  in 
  height 
  ; 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  afford 
  an 
  exact 
  

   reproduction 
  of 
  a 
  surface-view 
  of 
  the 
  stem, 
  but 
  represent 
  a 
  cast 
  

   of 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  a 
  stem 
  in 
  which 
  decay 
  had 
  already 
  removed 
  

   a 
  small 
  amount 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  less 
  resistant 
  tissues. 
  Instead 
  

   of 
  the 
  three 
  characteristic 
  marks 
  on 
  each 
  leaf-scar 
  — 
  the 
  small 
  

   round 
  central 
  scar 
  of 
  the 
  leaf-trace 
  bundle 
  with 
  a 
  larger 
  and 
  

   slightly 
  curved 
  scar 
  on 
  either 
  side 
  — 
  we 
  usually 
  find 
  in 
  their 
  place 
  an 
  

   obliquely 
  sloping 
  sandstone-projection 
  from 
  the 
  upper 
  third 
  of 
  each 
  

   scar. 
  The 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  cast 
  of 
  each 
  leaf-scar 
  will 
  be 
  more 
  clearly 
  

   understood 
  from 
  the 
  enlarged 
  drawings 
  in 
  fig. 
  2, 
  described 
  below. 
  

  

  1 
  ' 
  Steinkohlen-Calamarien,' 
  Abhandl. 
  k. 
  Preuss. 
  geol. 
  Landesanst. 
  vol. 
  v. 
  

   (1884) 
  pt. 
  ii. 
  Atlas, 
  pis. 
  v., 
  vi., 
  & 
  vii. 
  

  

  2 
  Compare 
  Brongniart's 
  figure 
  in 
  his 
  ' 
  Class. 
  Veg. 
  foss.' 
  pi. 
  i. 
  fig. 
  5 
  ; 
  also 
  in 
  ' 
  Hist. 
  

   Veg. 
  foss.' 
  pi. 
  clviii. 
  fig. 
  4. 
  Compare 
  also 
  Grermar's 
  figures 
  of 
  8. 
  Brardi 
  in 
  

   ' 
  Die 
  Ver 
  stein. 
  Steinkohlgeb. 
  Wettin 
  u. 
  Lobejun,' 
  fasc. 
  iii. 
  pi. 
  xi. 
  (Halle, 
  1849, 
  

   etc.). 
  

  

  