570 



PTERrOOSPERMS, ETC. 



[CH. 



Neuropteris Scheuchzeri, Hoffmann. Figs. 354, F ; 373. 



Fragments of this well-known Coal-Measure species were 

 figured by Scheuchzer in his Herbarium Diluvianum^ as Lithos- 

 miinda minor, and by Lhywd (Luidius°) as Phyllites mineralis as 

 early as 1760. Neuropteris Scheuchzeri, so named by Hoffmann 

 in 1826, is a type which many authors have described under 

 different names. Lesquereux^ figured it as N. hirsuta from the 

 Coal-fields of Pennsylvania, and under the same name it is 

 recorded by Fontaine and White ^ from Permian rocks of 

 Virginia. The oval patches on the surface of a pinnule de- 

 scribed by these authors as sori are certainly not of that nature. 

 The same species is described by Bunbury* from Nova Scotia 



Fig. 373. Neuropteris Scheuchzeri. From a specimen (v. 2009) in the British 

 Museum, j nat. size. 



as N. cordata Brongn. var. angustifolia. For a full synonymy 

 of the species reference should be made to lists published by 

 Kidston«, White', and Zeiller^. 



The large tripinnate fronds are characterised by the long 

 linear- or oval-lanceolate pinnules (fig. 373)° with a pointed 

 apex and numerous bristle-like hairs on the lamina ; two much 

 smaller Cyclopteroid segments occur at the base of the pinnae 

 which are terminated by the linear leaflets (fig. 354, F, p. 535). 



Neuropteris Scheuchzeri is characteristic of the Upper and 

 Middle Coal-Measures of Britain and is recorded from several 



1 Scheuchzer (1723) A. p. 129, PI. x. fig. 3. 



2 Lhywd (1760) A. PI. v. fig. 190. 



3 Lesquereux (79) A. PI. viii. " Fontaine and White (80) p. 47. 

 6 Bunbury (47) PI. xxi. « Kidston (94) p. 357; (03) p. 806. 



' White (99) p. 132. a Zeiller (88) A. p. 251. » See Vol. i. p. 45. 



