1 66 Frederick Chapman : 



Genus LITHOTHAMNION, Pliilippi, 1837, Foslie, emend. 1900. 

 LiTiioTHAMNiox KAMosissiMUM, Reuss sp. (Plate XVT., Figs. \a-c, 2, 3), 



Nulliporo ra/uosissima, Reuss, 1848, Haidinger's Naturw, 

 Abhandl., vol. ii., pt. ii., p. 29, pi. iii., figs. 10, 11. 

 Unger, 1857, Denkschi-. K. Akad. Wiss. -Wien. vol. 

 xiv., pp. 23, 38, pi. v., figs. 18-22. 

 LifJwfhnwnivm ramosissimum, Reuss sp., Giimbel, 1871, 

 Abhandl. k. bayer. Akad. Wiss., vol. xi., pt. i., p. 34,. 

 pi. i., figs. \a-d. 

 Cumuli pora rosenhergi , Mai'tin, 1881. Saninil. Reiclismus. 



Leiden, vol. i., pt. i., pp. 12-14, 64, pi. iii., figs. 6, 7. 

 Lithothamninm rosenhpvgi, Maitin sp., Martin, 1881, Ibid, 

 vol. i., pt. ii., pp. 70, 79. Ibid, 1882, vol. i.. pt. iii. 

 pp. 153, 155. 

 L. ramosissimum, Rss. sp. Rothpletz. 1891, Zeitschr. 

 deutsch. geol. Gesellsch., vol. xliii., p. 320. Nishiwada,. 

 1894, Journ. Coll. Sci. Imp. Univ. Tokyo, vol. vii., 

 pt. iii., p. 233, pi. xxix., figs. 1-3. 

 L. (Cum.ulipora) rosenhergi, Martin, Newton and Holland, 



1900, Journ. Geol. Soo. Tokyo, vol. vii., No. 81, p. 1. 

 L. rosenhergi, Martin, sp. Yoshiwara, 1900, Journ. Geol. 



Soc. Tokyo, vol. vii.. No. 81, p. 22. 

 LitJiothamnion ramosissimmn. Reuss sp.. Foslie, 1900, 

 " Revised Systematical Survey of the Melobesidae." 

 Kongl. Norske Vidensk. Selsk. Skr. No. 5, p. 12 (No. 

 14). 

 Lithothamniitm ramosissimum,, Rss. sp., Newton and Hol- 

 land. 1902, Journ. Coll. Sci. Imp. Univ. Tokyo, vol. 

 xvii.. Art. 6, p. 17, pi. i., fig. 8. 

 Ohservations. — From Jurassic times the branching Litliothumnia 

 have played an important role in the formation of limestones, 

 especially those associated with reef-making corals. The distin- 

 guishing characters of this plant, apart from the fruiting organs, 

 are not easily defined, the form of the thallus being very variable. 

 Solms Laubachi cuts the gordian knot in that he says, " Wo shall 

 do well to follow Unger in this matter, and put them all together 

 as Lifhothamnium ramosissimum.' ' 



My own conviction is, that when the cell structure is well pre- 

 served, and the mode of frutification shown, the fossil specimens 

 are as good as living examples for diagnostic purposes. It has 



1. Fossil Hotniiy, Oxfoid, ISDl. KiikHsIi tnuislatioii by H. K. F. Ganisey, p. 4i'i 



