11 



FILICITES TRIFOLIOLATUS. 



THREE-LEAFLETTED FILICITE. 



Generic Character. 



Leaf, or, frond, forming a flat surface, the two sides of which are symmetric ; 

 secondary rib simple or forked. 



Specific Character. 



FILICITES trifoliolatus. Leaf or frond tripinnate; pinna? or lobes alternate, 

 with an odd one ; leaflets ternate, lobes roundish, convex. 



Synonyms. 



This fossil plant does not seem to have been described or figured by any pre- 

 ceding author. 



Description and Locality. 

 Frond or leaf tripinnate. 



Pinnce or wings lanceolate, alternate, with an odd one. 

 Pinnules lanceolate, alternate, with an odd one. 

 Leaflets ternate, foot-stalked, alternate, roundish, convex. 



Found in the shale of El-se-car new colliery, in that part of the mine which is 

 near Milton Furnace, Yorkshire. 



Observations. 



This is by no means a common species, for in 1821 more than a ton of the shale 

 in this mine was examined, and only the single specimen here figured was obtained. 

 The same place has been visited twice since, and examined, but without success. 



This fossil plant has been compared with the tropical ferns, and seems nearly 

 allied to the genera, davallia or cheilanthus ; but from the almost general absence of 

 the organs of fructification amongst fossil plants, the referring of them absolutely to 

 the several genera of recent plants is impossible. 



It is referrable to Adolphe Brongniart's second subgenus of filiates, which he 

 denominates sphenopteris. 



The figure represents at A, the cast or matrix of the under side of the leaf, and 

 at B, the relievo of the upper side. 



