17 



PLATE VIII. 



Asterophyllites Huttonii. K sp. 



This extremely elegant fragment appears to belong to 

 an undescribed species of Asterophyllites. Its most salient 

 characters (so far as a mere leaf-bearing branchlet can 

 enable one to determine them) are the distinctly ribbed 

 stem with slightly prominent nodes, the leaves very 

 nearly or quite as long as the internodes, broad, lan- 

 ceolate, and arranged in whorls of four. 



No description of this graceful species from the hand 

 of either Hutton or Lindley, to whom the specimen was 

 communicated in November, 1835, can now be found. 



In the meanwhile, perhaps the name Asterophyllites 

 Huttonii may not be thought unsuitable to it. 



The fossil comes, like so many others, from the shale 

 forming the roof of the Bensham coal-seam, at Jar row 

 Colliery. 



The figure is of the natural size, and is one of Prior's 

 most graceful delineations. 



