REVIEWS 259 



the correlation problems. The majority of these are Chester forms, 

 together with some Ste. Genevieve and St. Louis species. Of interest is 

 a new species of Septopora, S. similis from the lower St. Louis which is 

 almost identical in character with the Chester S. subquadrans. This 

 occurrence is noteworthy in that the genus Septopora has hitherto been 

 considered highly characteristic of the Chester. Seventy-two species 

 are described and figured, prominent among which are species of Talaro- 

 crinus and Pentremites. 



A. C. McF. 



On the Crinoid Genus Scyphocrinus and Its Bulbous Root Camaro- 

 crinus. By Frank Springer. Memoir Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, 191 7. Pp. 74, pis. 9, figs. 16. 



For more than a half-century there have been known to paleontolo- 

 gists certain bulb-like, supposedly crinoidal or cystoidal, bodies which 

 were described from American localities in 1869 by Hall as Camarocrinus . 

 Similar structures had been known for some time from the Silurian of 

 Bohemia where they had been found by Barrande. He had named 

 them Lobolithus without describing them. 



In 1904 Schuschert summarized all the known facts touching the 

 occurrence and relations of this form. He found that these structures 

 were of widespread occurrence in both Bohemia and America. In the 

 former they were confined to a horizon equivalent to the American 

 Rochester shale, and in the latter to the Manlius and Helderbergian. In 

 Bohemia they were commonly associated with the genus Scyphocrinus 

 which was as yet undescribed from America. They were frequently 

 found in beds void of any other crinoidal remains and a large majority 

 were found in strata with their stalked end down. He came to the 

 conclusion that 



Camarocrinus thus appears to be the float of an unknown crinoid, that was 

 held together after the death of the individual by the firmly interlocked double 

 walls of the exterior and interior, while the crown and stalk dropped away. 

 Under this hypothesis the float drifted with the sea currents, was finally 

 filled with water and, the attenuated end being heavier, sank in that position. 



It is the purpose of this paper to present the results of some later 

 studies by Mr. Springer which have resulted in a change in the concep- 

 tion as to the functional nature of the so-called Camarocrinus. He 

 finds not only that the genus Scyphocrinus does occur in abundance in 

 America but that the Camarocrinus bulbs are directly connected at the 

 distal end of the stem of crinoids belonging to that genus. Moreover 



