CARBONIFEROUS FOSSILS OF IRELAND. 133 



This is one of the smallest species of Spirifera; it is very rare; it appears to be the Anomites acutus of 

 Martin ; so that, following Fleming, we ought, perhaps, to place acutus as the specific name. Length about 

 lialf an inch. 



Spirifera octoplicata. Soiv. 



Spirifer octoplicatus. Sow. Min. Con. 



Sp. Ch. — Trigonal; hinge-line equal to the width of the shell; four large angular plaits on each side the 

 mesial ridge ; surface smooth. 



The nearly smooth surface is the principal distinction between this species and some of the varieties of 

 the .S'. crispu.s-. Length six lines, width nine lines. 



Spirifera Ornithorhyncha. M'Coj/. (PI. XXI. fig. 2). 



Sp. Ch. — Cruciform, a very large, compressed, smooth, mesial ridge on both valves, greatly produced 

 into a beak in font ; sides narrow, cylindrical, with five or six obtuse radiating ridges ; cardinal area large 

 hollow. 



When seen in front, the long, central beak, at right angles to the cylindrical sides, gives this shell the 

 appearance of the Roman letter T., and when viewed laterally, the resemblance to the beak of the little Auk 

 Alca Alle, has suggested the specific name. Length of central beaked portion, one inch two lines. 



Spirifera ostiolata. Schlot. 



Spirifer ostiolatus. Schlottkeim. Nachtrsege. 



Sp. Ch. — Suborbicular, gibbous; length three-fourths the width ; cardinal angles obtuse, beaks approxi- 

 mate ; cardinal area narrow, with parallel sides ; about twelve broad, rounded, entu-e ridges on each side ; me- 

 sial ridge and hollow broad, shallow, smooth. 



In this fine species the surface is minutely granulated in most of the specimens, as noticed by Mr. Lonsdale, 

 I am not quite sure whether it be due to the mode of preservation. Length one inch three lines, width one 

 inch six lines. 



Spirifera princeps. M'Coy. (PL XXI. fig. 1). 



Spirifera Princeps. M'Coy. In Cat. Geol. Soo. Dub. 



Sp. Ch. — Semicircular, twice as wide as long, gibbous ; numerous fiuTows from the beak, which increase 

 in number towards the margin, including between them broad, flattened, branched ribs ; front elevated in the 

 middle, with about five ribs on the rounded mesial elevation, of the same size as those on the sides ; hinge-line 

 equal to the width of the shell, cardinal angles slightly acute, flattened; beaks approximate. 



This species agrees with the shorter varieties of Spirifera attemiata in the proportion of length to breadth, 

 but differs in having but half the number of radiating, branched ribs ; while it is distinguished from the Spirifera 

 bisulcata by its greater widtli, and by having a greater number of ribs, which are simple in Spirifera hisulcata, 

 but much branched in the present species, which is also much larger than either. With the Spirifera 

 striata it has little affinity, being much more tumid, and the mesial fold being round instead of triangular, as 

 in that species, the character of the ribs also differs entirely. Length three and a-half inches, width six 

 inches. 



Spirifera pulchella. Sow. 



Spirifer pulchellus. Sow. Geol. Trans. 



Sp. Ch. — Transversely oval, gibbous; beak of the dorsal valve large, incurved; cardinal area triangular; 

 cardinal angles rounded ; two large rounded ribs on each side the mesial furrow, which is narrow and rounded ; 

 surface smooth, or with a few concentric lines of growth. 



2 L 



