710 



DR K. KJDSTON. 



Remarks. — The specimen is shown natural size on PI. Ill, fig. 1, and a portion is 

 enlarged two times at fig. la, to show the form of the pinnules. The remarkable 

 feature of this fossil is the curious form of the pinnules which terminate the pinnae. 

 These consist of two narrow cusp-like lobes which bend towards each other, leaving 

 a space between them and enclosing a triangular area. The two horns are some- 

 times open above (fig. la, A A, and text-fig. 1, A and C, X 7), but at other times they 

 meet (fig. la, B B, and text-fig. 1, B, X7). The structure is very suggestive of some 

 organ, now removed, having been attached at the base of and between the two 

 incurved horn-like segments. 



Sphenopteris incurva is allied to Sphenopteris herbacea Boulay,* but differs in its 

 smaller and more rhomboidal pinnules, which usually only bear one or two pairs of 

 alternate lateral lobes and a terminal one. The curious forked and incurved terminal 

 pinnules are also not known to occur on Sphenopteris herbacea. 



Locality. — Barony Pit, Oldbyres Farm, about 1^ mile west of Auchinleck, Ayrshire. 



Horizon. — Overlying Ell Coal. Westphalian Series. Collected by Mr D. Tait. 



Sphenophyllum cuneifolium Sternb., sp., forma amplum, n.f. 



(PI. Ill, figs. 2, 3.) 

 Remarks. — The form of Sphenophyllum cuneifolium figured here approaches in 

 its size to Sphenophyllum majus Bronn, sp.,t but the narrow wedge-shaped leaves, with 

 their sharp teeth, show that the specimens are only an exceptionally large form of 

 Sj>henophyllum cuneifolium Sternb., sp., which, however, seems worthy of a distinctive 

 name. The leaves are 1*4 cm. long on the specimen seen at fig. 3, and 1*7 cm. long 



* Boulay, Terr. howl, du Nord de la France, p. 27, pi. i, fig. 5, 1876. Zeiller, Flore foss. bassin houil. d. Valen., 

 p. 106, pi. vi, fig. 4 ; pi. vii, figs. 3-4. Sorotheca herbacea, Stur, Die Fame: Garb. -Flora d. Schatz. Schichten, p. 279, 

 pi. xxxiv, figs. 4-8. 



f Rotularia major, Bronn in Bischoff, Kryptogam. Gewiichse, pp. 89, 131, pi. xiii, figs. 2a, 2b, 1828. Spheno- 

 phyllum majus Kidston, Mem. Muse'e roy. d'hist. nat. de Belyique, p. 221, pi. xiv, figs. 1-4, 4a ; pi. xv, figs. 2, 3 ; 

 text-fig. 35, 1911. 



