51 



The above would stand as a general definition for a number of branching species of 

 v7(s, which some eminent palaeontologists, such as Lonsdale. McCoy and Billings, regard 

 as belonging to a single natural group; whilst other high authority - a- 1'. Biainville, and 

 Milne Edwards and llaime, distribute them amongst several >[>ecie.-. My own view would 

 coincide with the former of these namely, that the forms in question should be regarded a- 

 belonging to a single very variable speoifio type, the / rpha of Goldfuaa. A- 



this \ iew. however, ha- nut been universally accepted by the leading authorities on the sub- 

 ject, I shall describe the branching forms of /'</iW/.x which occur in the Coruiferous Lime- 

 stone of Western Ontario, under the names of F. /<//////. ;/-yV/</, /'. reticulatd, /'. /"//,'./, and /'. 

 cervicomis. To these I have to add an allied but apparently distinct and undescribed form. 

 which I shall de.-ignate by the name of /'. < '/t<i]>nt'/ni. and which appears to be in some : 

 pects intermediate betueeii the genera /'(/>xi/.x and .!//./// 



Taking this view of the subject, /'/// W/.-x /m*, //,/,, rj>/m proper will be re.-tricted to ,-uch 

 form- aa are more or lc-- ma.--ive. or lobate, thus constituting a transition between the truly 

 massive species and the regularly dendroid types such as /. /. //--//A,/,/ and /'. i!u/'i<t. Th- 

 ealices are polygonal, of unequal sizes, there being small ones intercalated among>t the larg.-i 

 The diameter of the larger ealices is generally about two-thirds of a line ; and their walls an 

 not particularly thick. 



A- tli n- restricted, /'. />"li//ni>rji/in can not be said to be of common occurrence in the < 

 niferous Limestone of Western Canada ; and I have met with comparatively lew specimen^ 

 which would conform with the figures given by Goldfuss in hi> great work. (/'.// 

 Plat. XXVII. Figs. i'/,, iV, 2d, 3b and :!<.) This is the more singular, as the regularly 

 branched forms which constitute /'. reiiculata and /'. ////-/*/. are of exceeding common oc< 

 rence. 



AM. -.////,/ ,/,/ Formation. Corniferous Limestone of Port Colborne and llidgcway. 



53. FA\<SHKS RETICULATA (De Blainville). 

 (Plate VII. Fig. 2). 



/'/ x i var. I-"IIH>.*I) (Goldfuss), Pdi'<j'. <!<ri>i. I'late XX\'1I1. Fu- 



_ /. e;ut. exclu-is). 



Mr.n/if /,,/,, ,I)e Blainville), J>i,-f. Vol. LX. p. 369. 



<>//'/</'" /''"" (1'c N'erneuil and Jules llaime). /,'-///. 7. ( /, PfdflCO, H 



Vol. VII. I..VJL'. 



/'/ lllaia (Milne Mdwards and .liiie- llaime). /W. I-'UM c / \> 



241. j and Brit. /' ',, p. 2ir., Plate X LV 1 1 1. Fi- I . 



rallum dendroid, branched, the branche- laoaoolating and retioolated in m^-t in-tan. 



ili-im.-ter ,,|' the bran<-he.> ;i line and a lialf tn two line-, ealiee- nearly equal, circular or nearly 

 H bl rery thick wall.-, their diameter abniit half a line ur a little K-- ( cnunt ing in the 

 thickne-- (.(' the wall;. 



Thi- li'i-m i- di-tin'jiii-licd b\ it- branched and u.-ually reticulate Inrm, and it.-, cqiia. 

 -uii-equal c.ilie. -, which open mi the -uiT.ice with hardlv any obliquity 



/... mi Formation Abundant in the ( 'urnii'i rou- Limestone of Port Colbomft and 



Kidgew 



5 I. I 1 ' \ \ OBn i - DUBIA (D I; :in\ille). 



//,// VII, Fi B 



> 



.''.///(/'"/' /'"/'///'"//'/'" ' var. Gk)ldfd /''//. 'fin. I'late X\\ II.' 



.//, v, , /;/,.,-, /,//,;., \ >e lil:iin\illc|. Diet. \'\. l.\. p. 370. 



/'i \ K-lw.u d and llaini' i. /' / ' . mii 



|i. _'!'.. 



This -|ieci' eluM-ly allied tn / '. ,-,/,',,/ f, t (., _ | r ,,| M whii'. it i- un-ati-lactnnl\ 



dlStinguiaheO by tin- I'act that tic- branche- d imt ci.alc-ce ai ' iiid \<\ th> 



ine,|ualitv in th---i/e !' the e, ,rallitcs, a few \ i ;. -mall cali. 



