Oil Ostracoda, etc., from the Devonian of Germany, 337 



The genera Sporocarpon and Traqnairia were actually found in 

 situ in the strobils of Lcpidodendron, so that in their case the 

 relationship is certain. As regards the Calcisphsern?, if these are 

 the microspores of Lepidodendroid plants — and the similarity of 

 one occurrence in the present series seems to point in that direc- 

 tion (PI. VIII, fig. 6) — one difficulty would be their extreme 

 abundance in some limestones, as in the Devonian " Corniferous 

 Limestone " of Kelly's Island, U.S.A., cited by Williamson.* 



Desgeiption of the Organisms. 



Genus SjJorocarpon Williamson, 1878.t 

 Sporocarpon aculeatum sp. n. (PI. VIII, figs. 1, 4, 6.) 



Description. — Body spherical. The surface covered with a fine 

 reticulum, and having a fairly close ornament of short and long 

 spines. The longer spines are slightly flexed, the shorter spines 

 apparently rigid. Under a high magnification the interior is seen 

 to contain small spherical bodies which resemble the Calcisjyhserse 

 of the Carboniferous Limestone. These small bodies are roughly 

 orbicular, and have fairly thick walls supported by radial partitions, 

 and sometimes with a central rounded nucleus. 



Dimensions. — Diameter, 1 • 07 mm. ; length of longer spines, 

 0'42 mm. ; length of smaller spines, 0*15 mm. 



Observatio7is. — These bodies might easily be mistaken for 

 Eadiolaria of the genus Heliospluvra, as indeed the writer did at 

 the outset. They are, however, about six times as large, and the 

 cortex has a dilfeient appearance from that of the Iladiolarian 

 structure, giving the impression of a ihin chitinous or calcareous 

 investment. The genus is clearly of Lepidodendroid affinities, as 

 shown by Williamson. 



Occurrence. — Upper Devonian; Ebersdorf, Silesia. Upper 

 Devonian ; Sclmbelhammer, Bavaria. 



(?) Sporocarpon dentatum sp. n. (PI. VIII, fig. 2 ) 



Description. — The capsule wall is never complete in the sec- 

 tions, only fragmentary arcs being preserved. The wall is 

 extremely thin and the exterior covered with short denticles. 

 This form differs from Sporocarpon, as described by Williamson, 

 in the thinness of the wall. 



Dimensions. — Diameter of an average completed sphere, about 



1 • 3 mm. 



* Phil. Trans., vol. clxxi. 1880, p. 523. 

 t Phil. Trans., vol. clxix. p. .347 (footnote). 



