114 DR ROBERT KIDSTON ON THE 



and Neuropteris obliqua and probably other species ; but this condition can only be 

 observed in favourably preserved specimens. The evidence, then, for referring these 

 specimens to Neuropteris seems to be fairly conclusive. 



Let us now turn to the specimen given at figs. 5a and 56. These show the two 

 halves of the same nodule, enlarged 2 times. At fig. 5 a we are looking at the upper 

 surface of the pinnule, from which the cushion on which the sporangia sat has been torn 

 off. The under surface of this cushion is seen at a, fig. 56 ; and the part lettered a! on 

 the same figure is a piece of the pinnule broken off a, fig. 5a, and is not sporangial. 

 At 6 and c, fig. 56, parts of the pinnule also are seen. On no part of this specimen are 

 any sporangia visible, as far as I can observe. 



The only specimen which clearly shows the sporangia is that seen at figs. 3a and 36, 

 of which both halves of the nodule are given, enlarged 2 times. Here we are looking 

 down upon the upper surface of the sporangial disc. At fig. 3a they are much flattened 

 and displaced, but at a on fig. 36 they are seen distinctly extending past the margin of 

 the disc. The greater part of the surface of this specimen exhibits small hummocky 

 roughnesses. These, I believe, are the points from which sporangia have been removed, 

 and which now adhere in a crushed condition to the surface of the other half, fig. 3a. 



Some of the specimens, when split open, contained some portions of the plant in a 

 carbonaceous condition adhering to the impression. Some of this material was treated 

 by the maceration process, and numerous spores were obtained from both the specimens 

 so examined, some of which are seen at PL VIII. fig. 8. This clearly proved the 

 sporangial nature of the bodies seen on the specimen given at figs. 36 and 3a. The 

 spores show a triradiate ridge, fig. 8a. 



That the fossils just described are the microsporangial organs of a Neuropteris can 

 scarcely be doubted, but it is impossible to determine the species to which they belong ; 

 for though at a on fig. 7a there is clearly a Neuropteroid pinnule, it is so closely 

 associated with the fertile pinuules that it probably does not represent the true form 

 and arrangement of the veins in the sterile pinnules. Several species of Neuropteris 

 occur at the same locality and on the same horizon, and of these Neuropteris 

 heterophylla and Neuropteris gigantea were extremely common. That our specimens 

 do not belong to Neuropteris heterophylla is seen from the much more delicate 

 structure of the petioles on the probable but imperfectly preserved microsporangial 

 specimen I figured some years ago. # 



On the other hand, there is no satisfactory evidence for referring these micro- 

 sporangia to Neuropteris gigantea, though pinnules of this species sometimes occur in 

 the same nodules, as their presence there is possibly merely an accidental association. 

 I therefore apply a new specific designation to these fossils, and have pleasure in 

 naming them after M. l'Abbe" Carpentier, who was the first publicly to call the 

 attention of botanists to them. In his paper describing them he mentions the original 

 MS. name, Cupulina Jilicoides, which I applied to these fossils, but this I suppress for 



* Trans. Roy. Soc. Edin., vol. xxxiii. p. 150, pi. viii. fig. 7, 1887. 



