82 Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 



REMARKS ON THE GENUS ARTHROPHYCUS, HALL. 

 By Joseph F. James, M. Sc, F. G. S. A., etc. 



In studying the literature of what are designated as 

 " Problematic Organisms," several facts relative to nomencla- 

 ture have come to the attention of the writer, which seem 

 worthy of record. The one which will be referred to on the 

 present occasion, is the relation between Arthrophyctis harlani 

 and Harlania halli, both unquestionably applied to the same 

 fossil form. The position of the fossil in the zoological or 

 botanical scale will not be discussed here. It will be sufficient 

 to say that originally described as an alga, it has been gen- 

 erally placed in the vegetable kingdom. \^arious authors 

 have, however, contended that it is not a plant, but represents 

 the track of some animal form. 



The first description of the fossil, although not accompanied 

 by any name, is accurate enough to enable one to recognize 

 it. It appears in the second edition of Amos Eaton's "Index 

 to the Geology of North America," (pp. 211-212), published 

 in 1820. In describing the red sandstone of the Niagara 

 River, now recognized as the Medina, he refers to some fossils 

 that had been considered to be the remains of plants; "but," 

 says he, "on tracing several specimens to their natural ter- 

 minations, they appear to end like the terete posterior 

 extremity of the common earth-worm, or angling worm. * 

 ^- '■■- After a very attentive review of thousands of these 

 petrefactions, I am convinced that their prototype was not any 

 species of plant with which I am acquainted ; and I am 

 inclined to refer them to the tribe of naked vermes, notwith- 

 standing they present arborescent, plant-like appearances. 

 I say naked, because there is not a particle of carbonate of 

 lime embraced in them. But they are perfect substitutions of 



