Palcoitloloi^y of the Cincinnati Croup. 69 



and C/iirospo)iiiia are closely allied, if not identical. At all 

 events the genus Strobilospon((ia Beecher, an undoubted syno- 

 nym of Pattcrsonia, is very similar to Chirospoui^^ia. The de- 

 scription of Beecher's genus is given below. 



StrohilospoHgia, Beecher, 1889: — "Sponge cyathiform or 

 globose with more or less concentric rows of lobes or lobcd 

 expansions, on the surface. Anchored to the .sea bottom by 

 massive bundles of filamentous spicules (basalia) proceeding 

 from the interior of the base of the cup. The bundle of 

 basalia is well defined at its origin and does not merge into 

 the tissues of the sponge." vSjMcules cruciform (Memoirs 

 Peabody Mus., Yale University, vol. 2, 1889, p. 14). This 

 differs from the original definition of /'a//'^;'.f<37/m, and is a good 

 supplement to it. 



I. P. DiFFiciLis, S. A. Miller, 1882. 



"Whether the original form of this sponge was globular or 

 not, we are unable to determine, but as we find it now, it con- 

 si.sts of a flattened irregular mass, often appearing as a cluster, 

 but no two specimens having the same form. It is vesicular 

 in structure, and under a magnifying power of 800 diameters, 

 bodies are observed somewhat resembling acicular crystals in 

 the plant Fuchsia, and also a few scattering subcircular or sub- 

 elliptical forms with irregular outlines, which I have been 

 unable to class as spiculae " (Jour. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 

 5, 1882, pp. 43, 44). 



Locality. — Cincinnati, Ohio. 



Remarks. — Nothing has been added to our knowledge of 

 this form since the original description as given above. 



2. P. TUBEROSA, Beecher, (sp)., i88g. 



Somewhat conical, flattened and deeply indented on opposite 

 sides, from the base to the osculum. Otherwise surface cov- 

 ered with slightly pendent, solid, tuberose extensions of the 

 parenchyma. Summit flattened, osculum irregular, sinuous, 

 margin thin, sometimes convoluted. Base broad, penetrated 

 by mass of basalia or root tuft of anchor spicules. Height 

 from 70 to 80 mm. Spicules cruciform, but very imperfectly 

 preserved (Beecher, 1889, op. cit., p. 26). 



Locality. — Turners Station, Kentucky. 



