Notes on a Few Sihirian Fossils from Ayrshire. 165 



Turrilepas, 'H. Woodward. Cat. Brit. Foss. Crustacea, 1877, 

 p. 143. 



Ohs. — The genus Titrrilepas was established by Dr H. 

 AVoodward, F.RS., from certain peculiar ovate triangular 

 plates from the Dudley limestone, previously known under the 

 name of Chiton Wrightiamis, De Koninck. Dr Woodward 

 satisfactorily showed that these plates were more properly 

 referable to a form of Cirrijmlia allied to the recent Loricula, 

 and for which he proposed the name Turrilepas, than to 

 Chiton, or any other mollusc. Priority is claimed by M. Bar- 

 rande for his term, on the plea of previous publication. For 

 my own part, I hardly think the facts support M. Barrande's 

 claim. Dr Woodward's name was both proposed and pub- 

 lished in 1865; and although the genus was certainly not 

 defined in so many words, it was, nevertheless, founded on a 

 well-known and perfectly-defined fossil, and what is more, 

 was copiously illustrated. I take tliis to be satisfactory 

 publication. It appears that M. Barrande had discovered 

 similar plates in the Silurian rocks of Bohemia, and applied 

 to them the name Plumulites, a fact which was communicated 

 by Professor Eeuss to the Imperial Academy of Science of 

 Vienna at their meeting of 18th February 1864, and was 

 published in a paper of the latter,* but unaccompanied 

 either by description or figure. The plates in question were 

 referred by M. Barrande to the CirrijMclia, and their alliance 

 to Loricula pointed out; but so far as I understand the 

 question, no description or figure was furnished by the latter 

 until the appearance in 1872 of the supplement to the first 

 volume of his magnificent work on the " Silurian System of 

 Bohemia.''^ I think, under these circumstances, that strict 

 impartiality requires the adoption of Dr Woodward's Turri- 

 lejKcs. Again, Messrs Hall and Whitfield j adopt Plumulites 

 in preference to Turrilejpas, on the ground that the latter was 

 never characterised, but my previous remarks equally apply 

 in this case. 



There are certainly two, and perhaps three variations in 



* Sitz. Berichte d. K. Akad. d. "Wissensch, xlix,, p. 215. 



+ Systeme Silurien du Centre de la Bolieme, Supp. vol. i., 1872, p. 565. 



X Ohio Geol. Report, ii., pt. 2, p. 106. 



VOL. IV. T 



