136 OK SPHEKOPTEEIS AFFINIS AND STAPHYLOPTERIS PEACHII. 



Conclusion. 



Staphylopteris (?) has been found by myself in the " blaes " (once in 

 an ironstone nodule amongst the " blaes "), rather plentiful at West 

 Hermand, West Calder ; by Mr. Bennie, fossil-collector for the 

 Geological Survey of Scotland, in shales at Currie, near Slateford ; 

 at Straiton, near Burdiehouse, in a piece of shale at the oil-shale pit, 

 by Mr. D. J. Brown, of Edinburgh, and Mr. Bennie. All these 

 localities are in the Calciferous Sandstones of the Carboniferous 

 formation of Scotland. 



All the diagrams were made by myself from specimens I collected. 

 I send, with two exceptions (which are in the British Museum, but 

 were also collected by myself), all the specimens figured ; so that the 

 Members can see for themselves how far they are to be trusted. 



One more remark. None of the American specimens of Staphylo- 

 pteris agree with the British one ; and thus Professor Balfour's wish 

 as to species has been carried out. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES VII. & VIII. 



Ferns from the Calciferous Sandstone Series of Edinburgh. 



Plate VII. 



Fig. 1. Frond of Sphenopteris affinis, Lindl. & Hutt., nat. size. 



1 a. Portion of the same, X 4. 



2. Another portion, showing fructification, X 4. 



2 a. The same, nat. size. 



Plate VIII. 



Fig. 1. Staphylopteris (?) Peachii, "flower-like parts," X 4. la, nat. size.. 



2. The same, a bunch of " flower-like parts," X 4. 2 a, nat. size. 



3. The same, a single "flower-like part," X 4. 3 a, nat. size. 



4. The same, a single "flower-like part" flattened, from above, X 4. 



4«, nat. size. 



5. 6, 7. Circinate vernation of Sphenopteris affinis, slightly enlarged. 



Discussion. 



Mr. Caektjthees spoke in high terms of appreciation of Mr. 

 Peach's work in nearly all departments of Natural History. The 

 greatest credit was due to him for his exceedingly careful observa- 

 tions. At the same time, Mr. Carruthers was compelled to differ 

 from him with regard to the plants which had been brought before 

 the Society on this occasion. The structure of the fruit in some of 

 Stur's coal-plants is the same as in the living JJymenophyllum, 

 consisting of two valves peculiarly arranged, the lower pinnae of the 

 fronds being fertile and modified accordingly. The same thing 

 seems to have occurred in Sphenopteris affinis, except that the lower 

 pinnae retained their normal structure, and the apical pinnae were 

 modified as the fruit-bearing portion, which had been regarded as 

 forming the peculiar genus Staphylopteris. 



