﻿Manchester Memoir Sy Vol. xlix. (1905), No. V£. if 



Lyginodendrotiy indicate that here also we have to do with 

 fern-like Spermophyta, and not with true ferns (William- 

 son and Scott, '95). 



The recent observations of Mr. David White, of 

 Washington, show that the frond Aneimites fertilis, very 

 near a Spkenopteris in form, bore organs which can scarcely 

 be interpreted otherwise than as winged seeds (White, 04); 

 similar seeds are associated with similar fronds in our own 

 coal-measures, though here the evidence of continuity is 

 still to be sought. 



We may now pass on to another group, that of the 

 Neuropteridere, taking the family in a wide sense to 

 include Alethopteris, Odontopteris, Linopteris and other 

 genera, as well as Neuropteris the type-genus. It was 

 fronds of this class which, as already mentioned, roused 

 Stur's suspicions more than 20 years ago. In the case of 

 some members of the Neuropterideas, as in that of the 

 Lyginodendreae, we are now possessed of a fairly complete- 

 knowledge of the vegetative organs. 



Examples of two of the genera are given in Plate L 

 {Neuropteris heieropkyild) and Plate II. {Alethopteris 

 Davreuxi), The fronds are of large size and repeatedly 

 pinnate, those of Neuropteris often recalling a recent 

 Osmunda, while Alethopteris resembles some species of 

 Pteris. 



The late distinguished French palaeobotanist, M. B. 

 Renault, whose loss we have recently had to lament, was 

 the first to demonstrate the anatomical structure of 

 Neuropteris and Alethopteris fronds, and to prove that, as 

 Grand 'Eury ('77) had already suggested, their petioles 

 are identical with the petrified specimens named 

 Myeloxylon by Brongniart (Renault, '83). Weber and 

 Sterzel ('96) further proved that these Myeloxylon petioles 

 were borne on the complex stems described by Cotta in 



