TEILIA QUARRY, GWAENYSGOR, NEAR PRESTATYN. 423 



I have also a small specimen collected by the late Mr C. W. Peach from the Oil 

 Shales, West Hermand, West Calder, Midlothian (Calciferous Sandstone Series). 



While visiting the British Museum in 1887, Mr R. Bullen Newton, F.G.S., kindly 

 showed me the collection of fossil plants which had lately been presented to the 

 Geological Department of the British Museum by Mr E. B. Luxmooee, F.G.S., and 

 among them were several specimens of the plant I believe to be Tate's Sphenopteris 

 Jlabellata. These specimens, along with those to which reference has already been 

 made, afford, I think, sufficient data for a satisfactory identification of all these fossils 

 with Sphenopteris Jlabellata, Tate. This species must, however, be now placed in the 

 genus Rhacopteris, Schimper,* of which the type is Rhacopteris (Asplenites) elegans, 

 Ettingshausen. Rhacopteris was formed to include that group of Sphenopterids with 

 rhomboidal, more or less divided or slit pinnules, which are attached to the rachis in a 

 plane nearly vertical to the growth of the fern. 



Rhacopteris Jlabellata appears to have possessed a pinnate frond, the rachis of which 

 may perhaps have divided into two equal parts like many other palaeozoic species, but 

 this has not yet been observed. The pinnules consist of from 3 to over 20 linear, acute, 

 single-nerved segments, the number of segments varying according to the position of 

 the pinnule on the frond — those at the apex containing much fewer segments than those 

 at the base. 



Fig. 2 is a reproduction of Tate's original figure, introduced here for comparison with 

 those now given. 



Fig. 4 is a drawing of the most perfect example I have seen, and is from the 

 Calciferous Sandstone Series, Burdiehouse, near Edinburgh. The uppermost pinnules 

 only contain three segments, those towards the base eight or nine. 



Figs. 5-7 are from Gwaenysgor, near Ehyl. In fig. 7 the segments are closer and not 

 so much expanded as in the other examples figured, having more of a matted appearance 

 than is generally seen. 



The small specimen given at fig. 5 illustrates well the fasciculate arrangement of the 

 pinnule segments. In fig. 6, which has suffered from maceration, the segments are 

 longer than in any of the other Gwaenysgor examples. 



It is to be observed that in none of the specimens figured, nor in any that have come 

 under my notice, are the pinnules so large as that given by Tate in the original wood- 

 cut. This, however, may arise from his example originating from a larger individual, or 

 from its having held a lower position on the frond than any of the specimens with which 

 I have met. 



The plant described as Noeggerathia by Gomes t is probably referable to Rhacopteris 

 Jlabellata. 



Schimper unites Gomes' plant with Rhacopteris elegans, Ett., sp.,| but as far as one 



* TraiU d. paUont. ve'ge't, vol. i. p. 481, 1869. 



t Flore fossile du terr. Carbon, des environs du Porto, Serra Bussaco, &c, p. 32, pi. ii. figs. 1, 2, Lisbon, 1865. 



+ Traite* d. paleont. ve'ge't, vol. i. p. 482. 



