[bell] new genus of CHARACEAE AND NEW MEROSTOMATA 166 



Dimensions: Greatest length 15.3 mm.; greatest width across 

 genal angles 21.2 mm.; width across median ocellar mound 18.7 mm.; 

 distance of median node from the posterior margin 6.4 mm.; 

 distance of compound eyes from the posterior margin 7.5 mm. ; long 

 axis of compound eyes 3.1 mm.; short axis of compound eyes 1.5 mm. 



Locality: Roof of four-foot seam, from dump derived from old 

 slope, New Campbellton, Cape Breton. 



Horizon: Upper Coal Measures or Radstockian (Upper West- 

 phalian). 



Remarks: Eurypterids are rare fossils from the Coal Measures 

 the world over, and only some dozen species have been recorded. 



The present species and an allied English Radstockian species 

 Glyptoscorpius kidstoni Peach have carapaces agreeing in size, relative 

 proportions, and ornamentation to that of Anthraconectes mansfieldi 

 C. E. Hall from the Alleghany series. The resemblance is particularly 

 close to those variants of smaller size figured by Jas. Hall as A. stylus. 

 Specific identity, however, is withheld since nothing is known about 

 the body of the Nova Scotian form. Accordingly, emphasis is placed 

 on slight difi"erences in outline of the carapace, distinctions that prob- 

 ably are inconstant and of doubtful specific value. The shield of our 

 specimen has been so flattened by pressure that the anterior margin 

 is covered, and accordingly it was not determined whether a short 

 anterior spine similar to that borne by A. mansfieldi was present. 

 The ornamentation of A . hrasdorensis is identical in plan to that of 

 A. kidstoni. In fact, the latter carapace differs only in its slightly 

 greater proportional length and in the presence of a shallow indenta- 

 tion on the posterior border. 



A carapace of an Eurypterid has not hitherto been described from 

 the Coal Measures of Nova Scotia. Salter,^ however, in 1863, 

 assigned some fragments of Merostomatan abdomens to this genus, 

 viz., E. ? pulicaris from the Little River group of St. John, N.B., a 

 fragment of a large body segment comparable to E. scouleri Hibbert, 

 from Port Hood, and an incomplete telson from Joggins whose resem- 

 blance to that of Hastimima whitei White from the Coal Measures of 

 Brazil has been pointed out by Clarke and Ruedemann. The excellent 

 preservation of the present carapace leads to the hope that the same 

 horizon may yield further, and more complete, specimens of these 

 ancient arachnids, whose race was rapidly approaching extinction. 



The tendency of the Carboniferous Eurypterids to form dermal 

 s::ale-like excrescences is given phylogerontic significance by Clarke 

 and Ruedemann. Also these authors regard the subgenus Anthra- 

 conectes to be fresh or brackish-water inhabitants. A. hrasdorensis 



i^Salter, Quart. Jour. Geol. Soc, Lond., vol. 19, pp. 78-79, 1863. 



