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THE PALEONT OLOGIST. 



No. 5. J^ CINCINNATI.-U. P. JAMES. [June 10, 1881. 



The Price of this Number is 25 Cents. 



CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY: FOSSILS OF THE 



LOWER SILURIAN FORMATION: OHIO, INDIANA 



AND KENTUCKY. By U. P. JAMES. 



GEI^US SOOLITHUS. Haldeman. 

 SCOLITHUS LINEARIS, Hall. (Pal. of N. Y., vol. i., p. 2, pi. I.) 



In his description, Prof. Hall says: "This species is apparently con- 

 fined to the Potsdam Sandstone, though usually unassociated with any 

 other fossil." And found in the eastern part of N.Y., in N. J., Penna., 

 Md., Va., and Tenn. 



The same species, apparently, is found in place in a fine state of pre- 

 servation, on the wider side of an extensive stratum of blue shale, in the 

 bed of Crawfish run, eastern part of Cincinnati, 8o feet or so above low 

 water mark of the Ohio river, Cincinnati Groiip. 



Slabs several feet long, or broad, may be taken from the bed. The 

 fossils are shown in strong, raised lines, from i-24th to over j^ an inch 

 or more wide, gcnefally straight, and parallel to each other, but not 

 always so. Other markings, perhaps distinct from this species, are dis- 

 tributed over the surface ; some appear like Annelid trails, depressed, 

 thread-like, or ^th of an inch or more wide ; some like flattened or 

 rounded stems covered with straight or oblique striae, or spiral-like 

 lines ; others expanding laterally upward, with longitudinal strias ; others 

 shapeless, contorted elevations. The appearance like (broken) " pegs 

 driven into the rock," mentioned by Prof H., is shown, also, but in an 

 irregular instead of a "regular" manner. 



All of the forms here referred to are found on the under side of the 

 bedded shale, resting on a bed of fine, soft blue clay, which overlies a 

 hard, somewhat massive, stratum of crystalline limestone. No other 

 fossils observed in the stratum with this, but different Genera and many 

 species are found abundantly immediately below and above. 



If, owing to the different Geological horizon, or otherwise, these 

 forms shall prove to be distinct from S. linearis, I propose the name 

 dispar for the species. 



ScoLiTHUS DELicATULUS, sp. nov. Jamcs, 



This species consists of small, cylindrical stems, from half a line to 

 one line in diameter, passing vertically through the strata, irregularly 

 arranged from }^ to ^ of an inch apart, more or less. The appear- 



