126 Bower . — Is Eusporangiate or Leptosporangiate 
latter are cut through in most irregular directions, and 
accordingly the comparison should be with irregular and 
oblique sections from the modern Fern : two such are repre- 
sented in Figs. 7 and 8, and the similarity, even in details, 
between these and the sporangia from the coal is very 
notable : the comparison should specially be made with 
Fig. 3, and it will be seen that the position and appearance 
of the e annulus’ (a), the line of dehiscence (d), and the 
internal cells (z), as well as the relative size and appearance 
of the rest of the tissues shown, correspond to an extra- 
ordinary degree. Perhaps the most striking point is that the 
granular film (x), already noted in the modern sporangium, 
may be traced in the sporangium from the coal, for the 
delicate irregular line (x) in Fig. 4 is believed to represent 
that similarly marked in Figs. 6-8. It is thus seen that the 
correspondence between the structure of these sporangia from 
the coal nodules, and of the modern Todea barbara , is an 
unusually close one. 
In interpreting this extraordinary resemblance it is to be 
remembered that these sporangia from the coal nodules are 
isolated from the fronds ; there is thus no proof from what 
type of Fern they were derived, other than that yielded by 
their form and internal structure : it is not even suggested that 
they all belong to the same species or genus, and I would 
be far from urging on the above grounds that Todea barbara 
itself is a plant of very early date : it seems, however, that 
their Osmundaceous character is probable, and it is to be 
noted that the Osmundaceae have hitherto been believed to 
be of post-carboniferous origin. For the purposes of the 
present argument, these sporangia have an interest : they are 
clearly not Leptosporangiate, as the word is ordinarily under- 
stood, but occupy an intermediate position, connecting these 
with the Eusporangiatae ; their size, their more complex 
structure, and the number of spores which they produce, all 
show this ; and as this, though itself rare, is the pro- 
minent type of Fern sporangium from the coal nodules, of 
which the microscopic structure is known, we may see in 
