AKATTCAEITES. 



137 



Type-specimens in the British Museum (V. 3363, V. 3364) — one 

 ■of them redrawn (V. 3364) in Fig. 2, PI. XII.— and in the Oxford 

 Museum. Arauoarites Broiiei is thus defined by Carruthers : — 



" Scales from the centre of the cone cuneate, gradually tapering 

 towards the narrow base of attachment to the axis, composed of 

 two portions, each terminating at its free apex in a short spinous 

 ..process, the lower and larger portion very broad and membranous, 

 -the upper portion narrower and somewhat parallel- sided, supporting 

 between them a single ovoid seed." 



The material on which this species was founded is less complete 

 ;than that which was made the type of the two preceding species : 

 it is indeed doubtful whether the designation Arauoarites Broiiei 

 serves a useful purpose. The cone-scales agree closely in form 

 with those already described, and possess a winged border. 



The single scale represented in Fig. 5, PL III. is drawn from 

 an unusually well-preserved specimen from Stonesfield in the 

 Manchester Museum: the scale is 3cm. long and l'7cm. broad, 

 .bearing a seed approximately 1-4 cm. in length. The raised ridge 

 just beyond the distal end of the seed or seed-cavity no doubt 

 corresponds to the so-called ligule characteristic of the cone-scales 

 of some recent species of Araucaria. The spinous process from the 

 broad end of the scale may be compared with a similar appendage 

 borne by the large cone-scales of Araucaria Bidwilli, Hook. 



We may perhaps include this scale under Arauoarites Brodiei 

 as probably having been derived from a larger cone of that species 

 than were the scales figured by Carruthers in his original account 

 of the type. 



PI. III. Fig. 5. A cone-scale in the Manchester Museum, showing 

 ■ distal spinous process, ligule, and a portion of a seed. 



Stonesfield. Manohester Museum Coll., No. 197. 



V. 3364. PI. XII. Fig. 2. 



An incomplete cone-scale (figured also by Carruthers, Geol. Mag. 

 pi. ii. fig. 3, 1869), 2cm. long by I'Scm. broad, with part of 

 a seed shown as a projecting cast lying in a depression. There 

 is a distinct depression in the middle of the distal end of the scale, 

 a character shown more clearly in the specimen represented in 

 PI. III. Fig. 5 (Manchester Museum). Several other scales occur 

 -on the same piece of rock, with fragments of Thuites expansus. 



Brodie Coll. 



