No. 3.] NICHOLSON—NEW FOSSILS. 147 



uniserial, but so disposed by the turning of each cell-mouth to 

 alternate sides as to look as if bi-serial. The terminal portion 

 of each cell bent outwards ; the aperture circular. The cells 

 tubular, elongated, slightly or not at 'a]\ expanded and not at all 

 elevated towards their apertures. Five cells in the space of two 

 lines; width of cell about one-tiftieth of an inch near the mouth. 



I havt con>iderable doubts as to the affinities of this extra- 

 ordinary little fossil ; but T tliink it is certainly one of the 

 Cyclostoniatous Polyzoa, and I sec at present no better course 

 than to refer it to Alecto, Laniorovix. When not examined closely, 

 the fossil presents a strikinu' resemblance to a Sertularian Zoo- 

 phyte, exhibiting exactly the appearance of a number of tubular 

 calycles or cells springing alternately from the two sides of a 

 common canal or stem. When minutely looked into, however, 

 it is seen that this is deceptive, and that the fossil consists really 

 of an alternate or sub-alternate series of long, tubular, slightly 

 flexuous cellules, each cell being nearly cylindrical, and having 

 the terminal portion geniculated or bent outwards, in such a 

 manner that the mouths of successive cells point in opposite 

 directions. 



The difficulty in determining the systematic place of this fos- 

 sil is much increased by the fact that it occurs solely in the 

 form of casts, ramifying in the walls of moulds from which corals 

 have been removed. It is, therefore, impossible to determine 

 what was the texture of the coenoccium, whether calcareous or 

 corneous; whilst the lines of division between the cells, where 

 they come in contact with one anoti^er, are only very faintly and 

 obscurely indicated. The form of the aperture of the cell ap- 

 pears to have been circular, and its position terminal ; but some 

 uncertainty attaches to both of these statements. 



Loadity and Formation. — Common, growing parasitically 

 upon the corallites of Di})]n/plnj}luin arundinaceinn, or upon the 

 epitheca of Flstnllpora Canadensis, in the former position gene- 

 rally accompanied by a species of Splrorhis. Corniferous Lime- 

 stone, Port Colborne, and Lot 6, Con. 3, Wainfleet. 



