596 R. KIDSTON ON THE FRUCTIFICATION 
that the affinities of this fern were probably Hymenophyllaceous ; 
but Prof. Williamson, referring to my remarks in his lecture on 
‘ Anomalous Oolitic and Paleozoic Forms of Vegetation,’ has pointed 
out the identity of the sporangia of U. (Sphenopteris) tenella in all 
essential features with those of recent Danew, and my further 
investigations have led me to adopt this view and to regard the fern 
as undoubtedly Marattiaceous. 
Sphenopteris tenella, Heer, Vorweltl. Flora d. Schweiz. p. 16, pl. i. 
f. 9, 10.—Judging from the figure, there is no evidence to show 
that this specimen belongs to S. tenella. The fossil appears to me 
to have been too imperfect for any satisfactory determination. 
Sphenopteris linearis, var., Lebour, ‘ Illustrations of Fossil Plants,’ 
p. 65, pl. xxxii.—This is probably only an indifferently preserved 
example of S. tenella, Brongt. 
S. delicatula (Brongt.), Boulay, Terr. houill. du Nord de la France, 
p. 28.—Abbé Boulay includes this species in his list of fossil plants 
from the Coal-measures of the north of France; but as it does not 
appear in a later publication by Zeiller (Fougéres du terr. houill. du 
Nord de la France), it is likely that Boulay’s plant is the Hymeno- 
phyllites quadridactylites, which occurs in that coal-basin. This is 
the more probable, as Zeiller, to whom I submitted specimens of 
_S. tenella, Brongt., informed me that he had not met with it in the 
north of France. 
Position.— Coal-measures. 
Localities.—Scotland: Furnace Bank, near Sauchie, Alloa, Clack- 
mannan ; roof of the Kiltongue Coal; Bailieston, Lanark. 
England: Bensham Horizon, Jarrow Coll. ; Gosforth. 
HymeEnopHyziites, Goppert, 1841. 
Gattungen der fossilen Pflanzen, p. 53. 
HYMENOPHYLLITES QUADRIDACTYLITES, Gutbier, sp. 
Sphenopteris quadridactylites, Gutbier, Verst. d. Zwick. Schwarzk. 
Pp. 30, plex 5; . 
Sphenopteris tetradactyla, Unger, Syn. Plant. Foss. p. 66; Genera 
et Species, p. 121; Giebel, Deutschl. Petref. p. 43. 
Sphenopteris tridactylites, Geinitz (not Brongt.), Verst. d. Steink. 
in Sachsen, p. 15, pl. xxii. f. 13, 14. 
Sphenopteris opposita, Giebel, Deutschl. Petrefacten, p. 40; 
Gutbier, Verst. d. Zwick. Schwarzk. p. 36, pl. xi. f.6; Unger, Syn. 
Plant. Foss. p. 62; Genera et Species, p. 1138; Gutbier, Gaea v. 
Sachsen, p. 75; Sternberg, Versuch, ii. p. 128. 
Sphenopteris minuta, Giebel, Deutschl. Petrefacten, p. 40; Gutbier, 
Verst. d. Zwick. Schwarzk. p. 39, pl. iv. f. 9, pl. vi. f. 10; Unger, 
Genera et Species, p. 114; Jd. Syn. Plant. Foss. p. 62; Gutbier, 
Gaea v. Sachsen, p. 75; Sternberg, Versuch, i. p. 128. 
Sphenopteris delicatula, Zeiller, Princip. Végét. Foss. de la 
France, p. 42; Zeiller, Bull. de la Soc. Géol. de France, 3° ser. 
vol. xii. p. 193. 
