1030 DR R, KIDSTON, MR T. C. CANTRILL, AND MR E. E. L. DIXON. 



this object a complete list of all the species known to occur in the Staffordian and 

 Westphalian Series of the Wyre Forest Coal Field is given, irrespective of the 

 localities from which they were collected. 



Dr Arber most kindly allowed me to examine his collection, which is preserved 

 in the Sedgwick Museum, Cambridge, and any species comprised in it which are not 

 represented in the collections of the Geological Survey or of Mr Cantrill are included 

 in the lists given here, but are distinguished by a *. 



There are, however, some plants recorded by Dr Arber on which I wish to make 

 some remarks. 



Macrostachya Schimperiana. 

 Arber, I.e., p. 389, pi. xxix, fig. 31. 



The Forest of AVyre example only exhibits the outer surface of the bracts, and 

 does not show the position of the sporangiophores, an essential character for the 

 identification of Palseostachya Schimperiana Weiss. f In Palseostachya the sporangio- 

 phores spring from the axils of the bracts, while in Macrostachya they are believed 

 to arise from the axis midway between the bract verticils as in C alamo stachys.\ 

 There does not appear to be any adequate reason, therefore, for the transference of 

 Palseostachya Schimperiana of Weiss to the genus Macrostachya. The outer 

 characters shown on the British specimen do not seem to me to be alone sufficient 

 for its identification with Weiss's species. I therefore prefer provisionally to name 

 Dr Arber' s specimen cf. Macrostachya sp. 



Neuropteris plicata. 

 Arber, I.e., p. 391, pi. xxvii, figs. 10, 11. 



This is neither the Neuropteris plicata Sternb. nor the plant figured by me under 

 that name.§ 



Since describing and figuring my specimen, I have received, through the kindness 

 of the Director of the Bohemian Museum, Prag, a photograph and plaster casts of 

 the true Neuropteris plicata Sternb. || The nervation is not very clearly seen on the 

 photograph, but as far as visible agrees very well with that on my specimen. On 

 the true plant, however, the pinnules are rather more obtuse, and the plications at 

 the margins of the pinnules are much more prominent, a character well brought out 

 on the two plaster casts kindly sent me, where they are much more conspicuous than 

 shown on Sternberg's figure. I therefore propose the name of Neuropteris subplicata 

 for the Staffordshire specimen. IF 



t See Weiss, Steinkohl. Calamarien, part i, p. 105, pi. v, 1876. 



I Sterzei, VII Bericht d. Nahirw. Gesell. zu Chemnitz, 1881, p. 238. See also Jongmans, Anleitung, i, p. 349, 1911. 



i^ Trans. Roy Hoc. Edin., vol. xxxv, p. 313, plate, figs. 1, Ice, 1888. 



|| Vers., i, fasc. iv, p. 16 ; ii, p. 74, pi. xix, figs. 1 and 3. 



1" See Trans. Roy. Hoc. Edin., vol. xxxv, p. 313, pi. figs. 1, la, 1888. 



