R. Etheridge, jun. Carboniferous Tubicolar Annelida. 171 
VIL—A Conyrtrisvrion To THE Stupy or THE British CARBONIFEROUS 
TuBicoLarR ANNELIDA. 
By R. Ersenriper, Jun., F.G.S., F.R.P.S.Edin. 
(Continued from p. 115.) 
History of Spirorbis continued :— 
In 1845 Dr. Dawson recorded the discovery, by himself, of 
Spirorbis on fossil plants from the Carboniferous sandstones of 
Tatmagouche, Nova Scotia.! 
Dr. Bronn appears to have been the second to recognize the iden- 
tity of Martin’s Conch. (Helicites) pusillus, with Murchison’s Jficro. 
carbonarius, in which he has been followed by singularly few other 
writers. 
Mr. E. W. Binney? has given us a very interesting paper on 
certain Carboniferous Annelide remains, amongst them Murchison’s 
Microconchus carbonarius. Mr. Binney, in the first place, refers to 
the hitherto doubtful position occupied by this form, and proceeds to 
examine the arguments for and against its Annelide affinities. He 
notices the habit possessed by it of burrowing. or making for itself 
a depression in the substance of the plants of the Carboniferous 
system, and in the shells of various bivalves of the Coal-measures. 
Mr. Binney proposed to subdivide Murchison’s genus J/icroconchus 
into Spirorbis and Serpula. Under the first he places the original 
Micro. carbonarius, Murch., describing it as attached to plants and 
shells, and gives a figure;* and another Sptrorbis, a large species, 
named S. omphalodes by Portlock, referred‘ to that and perhaps 
identical with Conch. (Helicites) pusillus, Martin. The section 
Serpula comprises an uncoiled form, found in the Coal-measures, but 
not attached to plants, always free.’ It is described as with irregular 
striz oblique to the axis, and is named Serpula carbonaria, Binney.® 
In 1853 E. F. Germar published’ Prof. Géppert’s description of a 
small, dextral or sinistral, shell-like body adhering to the fronds of 
Sphenopteris acutifolia, Brong., and also found separately on pieces 
of shale. These organisms, given under the name of Gyromices 
ammonis, Gépp., were known to Continental Palzontologists for 
many years as a Fungus (!), and were so described by Goppert and 
Germar; they are further described as possessing a_ septate 
character. 
This view was continued in 1855 by Dr. H. B. Geinitz,* who 
noticed the habit possessed by the so-called Gyromices ammonis of 
burrowing into the substance of the plant on which it occurred, and 
its many-chambered nature. 
Both the foregoing quotations have reference to the occurrence of 
1 Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. 1845, i. p. 326. 
2 Mem. Lit. Phil. Soc. Manchester, 1852, x. p. 193. 
3 p. 196, t. 2, f. 3. 4 p. 196, t. 2, f. 4. 5 p. 196, t. 2, f. 2. 
6 This must not be confounded with Serpula carbonaria, Morris; Spirorbdis 
carbonarius, Murch. ; or Serpulites carbonarius, M‘Coy. 
7 Verstein. Steinkohl. v. Wettin u.Lobejiin. 1853, heft 8, p. 29 (111). 
8 Verstein, Steinkohlenformation vy, Sachsen, 1855, p. 3. 
