OF SOME CARBONIFEROUS FERNS. 595 
Rhodea delicatula, Sternberg, Versuch, u. p. 111. 
Eusphenopteris tenella, Kidston, Trans. Roy. Phys. Soc. Ed. vol. vii. 
p. 129, pl. i. f. 1-6; Jd. Annals & Mag. Nat. Hist. Ser. 5. 
vol. x. p. 7, pl. i. f. 1-6. 
Sphenopteris, sp., Lebour, ‘ Illustrations of Fossil Plants,’ p. 79, 
pl. xxxix. 
Description.—Barren fronds tripinnate or decompound; pinne 
and pinnules alternate, linear-lanceolate; pinnules divided into 
narrow segments, which end in a blunt point; those on the basal 
part of the pinnule bifid or trifid, those on the upper portion un- 
divided. Fertile fronds: pinne reduced to a rachis having two 
alternate rows of urceolate indusia, which open at their apex by a 
small circular pore. 
Remarks.—Since writing my previous paper on the fructification 
of S. (Husphenopteris) tenella, Brongt., I have had many opportu- 
nities of examining numerous specimens of this fern, both in the 
barren and fertile condition, from the Coal-measures, Furnace Bank, 
near Sauchie, Alloa. 
The plant figured as S. delicatula by Brongniart is only one of 
the forms of S. tenella of the same author. That it is not the 
S. delacatula, Sternberg, has long been recognized*. This variety 
was not uncommon at Furnace Bank. 
I have been enabled to examine the specimens of S. multifida, 
L. & H., in the Hutton collection, Neweastle-on-Tyne, and to compare 
them with the type of S. tenella, Brongt., which is fortunately 
preserved in the collection of the British Museum, and I find the two 
plants are identical and in all probability from the same neigh- 
bourhood. 
It has been suspected for some time that S. multifida, L. & H., 
and S. tenella, Brongt., were the same fern, and a comparison of 
Brongniart’s type with Lindley and Hutton’s plants, affirmatively 
settles this point ; hence S. mulicfida, L. & H., must be eliminated 
from our lists of fossil plants, and S. tenella, Brongt., substituted as 
being the earliest name of the species. 
This plant has been figured as S. delicatula by Sauveur. That on 
his plate xxii. fig. 5 corresponds to S. delcatula, Brongt. (not 
Sternb.), and that on his plate xxv. fig. 2 to the form figured by 
Lindley and Hutton as S. multifida. 
Notwithstanding the great similarity between certain forms of 
the barren fronds of Urnatopteris tenella, Brongt., sp., and Zelleria 
delicatula, Sternb., sp., which has frequently given rise to errors of 
identification, their fruit is quite distinct. In U. tenella, Brongt., sp., 
the urceolate sporangia are borne upon modified fronds, the spores 
escaping through a small pore at their apex; whereas in Zelleria 
delicatula, Sternb., sp., the globular involucres are borne upon fronds 
of the ordinary type, and at maturity split into four valves for the 
distribution of the spores. 
In my former paper describing the fruit of S. tenella, I indicated 
* Gopp. Syst. Fil. Foss. p. 267. 
