58 Arber . — On a New Pteridosperm possessing the 
Coalfield of Germany. The present specimen, collected many years ago, 
was not among those described by Goldenberg. The locality from which 
it was derived is given on the label as ‘ Judenschlag Graben \ The horizon 
is probably that of the Westphalian division of the Upper Carboniferous, 
using the term in the sense in which it is applied on the Continent. The 
fossil is labelled, probably by Goldenberg, as a new species of Hymeno- 
phyllum , and, in another handwriting, as a fertile Sphenopteris . 
The specimen consists of a piece of shale, of uneven surface, about 
20 cm. in length, showing on one side part of a fertile Sphenopterid 
frond with several seeds still in continuity. The more interesting portion 
of this frond is figured on PI. VI, Fig. 1, magnified three times. On the 
reverse side, a leaf of an Alethopteris , no doubt A. lonchitica (Schl.), is seen. 
The anatomical structure is not preserved, the fossil being simply an 
impression. Although fragmentary in places owing to the uneven bedding 
of the shale, the preservation of the frond as a whole is quite satisfactory. 
The portion of the leaf figured (PI. VI, Fig. 1) is no doubt only 
a small part of a highly compound frond, just as is the case with the 
majority of impressions of the Sphenopteris type. A fragment of the 
rachis of the second, or some higher order, is seen on the right o'f the 
figure. Most of the pinnae are obviously detached, but in two cases, one 
of which is shown in the drawing, they appear to be still in continuity with 
the axis. 
The frond as a whole appears to have been of a delicate, graceful type, 
the leaflets, like those of several other species of the same genus, being 
quite small and very narrow. 
The rachis has a breadth of about 3 mm. The surface is faintly 
striated longitudinally, but shows no signs of the presence of any glandular 
organs, similar to those which often occur so abundantly on the rachis of 
Sphenopteris ( Lyginodendron ) Hoeninghansi , Brong. Another rachis of 
greater breadth is also associated, but it is by no means obvious that it had 
any real connexion with the frond under discussion. 
The pinnae of the highest order, of which three are seen on PI. VI, 
Fig. 1, were slender axes, which probably, in the living state, exceeded 5 cm. 
in length. None of the fragments of pinnae shown on this specimen are 
however complete. The pinnules were numerous, subopposite, and reached 
a length of 1 cm. or more. They were deeply divided into a number of very 
narrow, linear segments, of about 1-5 mm. in length, the lamina as a whole 
being very small, and probably considerably reduced in comparison with 
the, as yet unknown, sterile frond (Plate VI, Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8). 
The great majority of the pinnules seen in this specimen appear to 
have been fertile, the seeds being borne at the extremities of the linear 
segments or lobes (Plate VI, Figs. 4, 5, 7, and 8). The absence of seeds, in 
certain cases, is probably due to some accident during preservation. 
