86 THE PALEONTOLOGY OF MINNESOTA. 



LColuuinaria. 



tical with the coral subsequently described by Hall under the name Favistella stellata. 

 This is rendered the more certain by the fact that the specimens of Columnaria alveo- 

 lata described by Goldfuss are said to come from the shores of Seneca Lake, in the 

 state of New York, where the Lower Silurian rocks do not occur in place ; so that 

 they must have been derived from a traveled boulder. This also would harmonize 

 with the assertion of Edwards and Haime, that Columnaria alveolata (Gold.) and 

 Favistella stellata (Hall) are one and the same coral. 



" Whilst fully believing that these two corals, as described by their original 

 discoverers, are identical, it nevertheless remains certain that the corals now recog- 

 nized universally in America as Columnaria alveolata and Favistella stellata are entirely 

 distinct from one another, specifically if not generically. ***** If the 

 strict law of priority, with its utmost rigor, is to be carried out, then the name of 

 Favistella stellata must be abandoned ; the coral now known by this name must be 

 called Columnaria alveolata (Goldfuss), and the coral to which this latter title has 

 been generally applied will have to be baptized by some quite new name." (Nichol- 

 son, op. cit., p. 23, 1875). 



In 1879, Prof. Nicholson proposed for this coral the name Columnaria ? halli. 

 He writes, " I have come to the conclusion, after full consideration, that the best 

 course to adopt with regard to this species, is to give it a distinct and specific 

 name." (op. cit., p. 201, 1879.) 



The colonies of C. ( ?) halli occurring in Minnesota are usually small masses from 

 an inch (25 mm.) to four and one-half inches (11.5 cm.) in diameter. In the Black 

 River group of New York, this species often attains a large size. "There is a 

 specimen (a portion only of an entire mass) in the state collection [New York] 

 weighing about 1,500 pounds; the whole mass probably weighed 2,000 or 3,000 

 pounds." (Hall, op. cit.) 



Formation and locality. Rare near the base of the Trenton shales at Cannon Falls, Preston and St. 

 Charles, Minnesota, in the " Upper Buff beds" of the Trenton, in Wisconsin, and at Eockton, Illinois. 

 Common in the Black River group at Chazy, Watertown, and elsewhere in New York; Belleville, Peter- 

 boro, Collingwood, Ontario, Canada. In the Trenton at Dixon, Illinois; High Bridge, Kentucky, and 

 Central Tennessee (Ulrich). 



Collectors. W. H. Scotleld and the writers. 

 Mus. Reg. Nos. 5546, 7726, 7734. 



