374 Review of the New York Geological Repoj-ts. 



time, in the twelfth edition of the Systema Naturae, Yol. Ill, 

 p. 174, No. 7, as G. scalaris. 



" In the last mentioned work, the genus Graptolithus is repro- 

 duced ; but several fossil bodies, and even inorganic markings 

 and veins in the rocks being united as species under the same 

 generic denomination, the real typical form was nearly lost by 

 this intermixture. This confusion was carried still further in 

 the thirteenth edition by Gmelin, where even all the true Grapto- 

 lites were omitted. Wahlenberg restored the genus, all the forms 

 given by him being those fossil bodies which belong to the typi- 

 cal species of the transition formations, but he only gave a super- 

 ficial account of the subject. Schlotheim referred them to the 

 genus Orthoceratites^ and several other authors who followed 

 added no original matter. Prof. Nilsson of Lund, undertook a 

 monograph of the species of Graptolites found in Sweden. But 

 he was prevented by circumstances, into which I need not here 

 enter, from continuing his investigations on fossil remains, and 

 some brief remarks only were published by him on this interest- 

 ing genus, in the proceedings of the Physiographical Society of 

 Lund. In that notice he proposed a new name for the genus, 

 altering it to that of Priodon, a name not only objectionable as 

 being unnecessary, but as having been already employed by Cuvier 

 for a genus of Acanthopterygian fishes, of the family Teuthedce. 



" Since that time no attempt has been made to write a mono- 

 graph. Prof. Bronn, of Heidelberg, in his Lethaea Geognostica, 

 again however changed the name of the genus to Lomatoceras, 

 a name already given to an insect."* 



It appears then that the European naturalists class the Grapto- 

 lites with the corals. The ramose nature of some of the species 

 does not in our opinion form a serious objection to this view of 

 the genus, since the branching form is eminently characteristic 

 of many Polyparia. The chemical argument in favor of their 

 vegetable origin, presents perhaps a greater difficulty ; but may 

 not the carbonaceous matter have resulted from the peculiar con- 

 dition and circumstances attending the deposit ? The Utica slate 

 has often a notable quantity of carbon in its composition, and 



* The above extract regarding an obscure point in natural liistory, will be inter- 

 esting to those of our readers who may not have access to Mr. Murchison's work, 

 since there is so great a diversity of opinion respecting the true nature of Grap- 

 tolites. 



