2 SMITHSOXIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. IO3 



appeared, but in most cases they also included only one or two species 

 in addition to the genotype. This situation leaves many of the genera 

 inadequately portrayed and also fails to make available the species 

 needed for stratigraphic purposes. Hundreds of undescribed species 

 contained in the National Museum collections need to be described, 

 both to improve the concept of genera and to supply species for 

 stratigraphic work. Many of them cannot appropriately be included 

 in faunal or regional studies and are therefore best described in 

 papers of this type. 



Only a few of the genera represented by species described in this 

 paper can be referred to higher taxonomic categories. It would be a 

 simple matter to assign old family names or apply new ones to genera 

 that bear superficial resemblances to one another, but such action 

 would perpetuate existing errors and introduce new ones. Trilobites 

 cannot yet be satisfactorily classified, and to attempt to do so merely 

 adds to the confusion now existing. 



DESCRIPTION OF GENERA AND SPECIES 

 KOMASPIDAE Kobayashi, 1935 



Kobayashi established this family to include Kotnaspis Kobayashi, 

 Clmriocephalus Hall, h'vingella Ulrich and Resser, Irvingelloidcs 

 Kobayashi, and Bathynotus Hall. Komaspidae was a poor selection 

 as the family name, for both Chariocephalus and Irvingella are far 

 more characteristic of the family than the obscure Komaspis. More 

 than 50 species of Chariocephalus and Irvingella now studied show 

 that the genotype of Chariocephalus is nowhere near the median point 

 of the generic limits, and that Cliariocephalus, Irvingella, and several 

 other genera intergrade to the extent that arbitrary lines of separation 

 must be drawn. No question regarding family relationships of these 

 two genera can be raised, but there is no certainty that they belong 

 with Komaspis. 



Why Kobayashi should have assigned Bathynotus to this family, 

 even tentatively, is difficult to understand. It was evidently done 

 because of its large eyes, but there is not the remotest relationship 

 with the Komaspidae expressed thereby. 



In 1938 Kobayashi added Dartonaspis Miller to the family, at the 

 same time erecting two subgenera, Irvingellina and Parairvingella, 

 which are discussed on a later page. Also, he added the genus 

 Komaspidella based on Agraulos {?) thea Walcott. The latter species, 

 however, is a Kingstonia and therefore belongs in a different family. 

 The type of Dartonaspis belongs to Chariocephalus, and hence this 

 name becomes a synonym. 



