IX.—On the Fossil Osmundaceæ

Abstract

While the first part of this paper was in course of preparation a search was made through various palæobotanical publications in the hope of meeting with records of Osmundaceous fossils that had hitherto escaped recognition as such. In so doing our attention was at once attracted by the descriptions and figures given by Eichwald in his Lethæa Rossica of some very fine fossils which were held by him to represent the stems of arborescent ferns. Those in which we were particularly interested were Chelepteris gracilis, Eichwald, Sphallopteris Schlechtendalii, Eichwald, Bathypteris rhomboidea, Eichwald, sp., and Anomorrhæa Fischeri, Eichwald. The figures and descriptions of these plants were quite inadequate for the determination of their true affinities; but it must be remembered that at the time when these descriptions were written by Eichwald many structural characters which are now regarded as of paramount importance in determining affinities were not recognised as such, even by botanists. To enable us if possible to clear up these difficulties, we wrote to Mons. Michel Zalessky, geologist on the staff of the Comité géologique, St Petersburg, asking if the types of these specimens were known to be in existence, and if any preparations had been made from them suitable for microscopical examination.