114 WEICHSELIA. 



least doubt the same, or some nearly allied plant, as the smaller 

 examples named by Brongniart Lonchopteris Mantelli. When the 

 term Weichselia was proposed it was in ignorance of the fact that 

 the pinnules of the species to which the new name was applied 

 possessed reticulate venation, and would, therefore, come under the 

 older venation genus Lonchopteris. Now that we know more as 

 to the characters of these Weichselia fronds it is seen that, in spite 

 of the resemblance founded on venation alone, there is a well- 

 marked divergence from those species which Brongniart's defini- 

 tion of Lonchopteris correctly describes. The generic characters 

 may be stated briefly thus : — 



Frond bipinnate, rachis broad and rigid, pinnae long and with 

 prominent axes, pinnules entire with obtuse apex, attached by the 

 whole of their bases, distinct ; venation of the Lonchopteris type. 



In the absence of what we may regard as satisfactory evidence 

 for the existence of other species than W. Mantelli, I have included 

 all the Weichselia forms under a single species. 



1. — Weichselia Mantelli (Brong.). 



1S24. Feeopteris reticulata, Stokes and Webb, Trans. Geol. Soc. vol. i. 

 ser. ii. p. 423, pi. xlvi. fig. 6 ; pi. xlrii. fig. 3. 

 ' 1825. Feeopteris reticulata, Sternberg, Flor. Vorwelt. iv. p. xx. 



1827. Feeopteris reticulata, Mantell, Illnst. Geol. Sussex, p. 56, pi. iii. 



fig. 5 ; pi. iii*. fig. 3. 



1828. Xonehopteris Mantelli, Brongniart, Prodrome, p. 60. 

 Lonchopteris Mantelli, Brongniart, Hist. veg. foss. p. 369, pi. cxxxi. 



figs. 4 and 5. 



1832. Feeopteris reticulata, Passy, Depart. Seine-inferieure, p. 340, pi. xv. 



figs. 9 and 10. 



1833. Lonchopteris Mantdli, Mantell, Geol. S.E. England, p. 244, pi. i. 



fig. 3. 



1836. Folypodites Mantelli, Goppert, Foss. Farmkrt. p. 341. 



1837. Lonchopteris Mantelli, Lindley and Hutton, Foss. Flor. pi. clxxi. 



1838. Lonchopteris Mantelli, Sternberg, Flor. Vorwelt. vii. p. 167. 



1839. Lonchopteris Mantdli, Mantell, Wonders of Geology, vol. i. edit. iii. 



p. 371- 



1844. Feeopteris sp., Auerbaeb, BuU. Soo. Imp. Nat. Mosc. 1844, pt. i. 



Tol. xvii. p. 145, pi. T. figs. 10-11. 



1845. Pterophyllum Murchisonianum, Goppert, in Murchison's Geol. Bussia, 



Tol. ii. p. 601, pi. G, figs. 4-6. 

 Fterophyllumjilicium, Goppert, loc. cit. pi. G, fig. 4. 



