BRACHIOPODA. 259 



Observations. The distinguishing characters of this genus are, (a) its orthoid 

 external features, and muscular scars in the pedicle-valve ; {b) the presence of 

 strong dental lamellae which are not known among the streptorhynchoids, ex- 

 cept in Meekella ; (c) the absence of any cardinal area on the brachial valve ; 

 {d) the presence of a slight median septum in both valves. Hipparionyx proximus 

 is an abundant fossil in the .Oriskany sandstone of New York, occurring also at 

 Cumberland, Maryland, and in the arenaceous layers at the base of the Upper 

 Helderberg in the Province of Ontario. The form from the Eifel referred to 

 this species by Schnur is regarded by Kayser* as Orthothetes umbraculum, and the 

 shells thus identified by Davidson, from the beds of Looe, Cornwall, and the 

 Budleigh-Salterton pebbles, can not belong to the Oriskany species. 



Genus KAYSERELLA, gen. nov. 



1853. Orthis, Schnur. Palseontographica, vol. iii, p. 212, pi. xxxvii, tig-. 3 ; pi. xxxviii, fig-. 4 ; p. 218, 



pi. xlv, fig. 9. 

 1871. Streptorhynelius f, Kayser. Zeitschrift der deutschen geologischen Gesellsuhaft, vol. xxiii, p. 617, 



pi. xiv, figs. 2 a, b, c, d, e. 

 1SS5. Streptorhynclms f, Madrer. Kalke von Waldgirmes, p. 138, pi. v, fig. 10. 



1886. Streptorhynchus ?, Wenjukoff. Fauna des Devon. Syst. im nordw. und central Russl., p. 65, 



pi. ii, fig. 4. 



The species described as Orthis lepida by Schnur, in his work on the Brachi- 

 opoda of the Eifel,f has been shown by Professor Kayser to be a streptorhynchoid 

 shell, with a covered delthyrium on the pedicle-valve and a very prominent 

 median septum in the brachial valve, dividing the internal cavity much as in 

 the Devonian forms of Scenidium, where the central plate is greatly developed. 

 This is a feature not met with elsewhere among the fossils of this group, and 

 though the internal characters of the species remain undefined, except the sep- 

 tum, this character alone must exclude it from any of the generic groups now 

 recognized. That Professor Kayser recognized its generic value, is evident 

 from his language : 



" Strept. lepidus steht durch Gestalt, Form der Rippen und deutliche Perfora- 

 tion der Schale den Arten des Formenreihe der Orthis circularis zwar nahe, 



* Zeitsclir. dei- deutschen geologischen Gesellschaft, vol. xxiii, p. 61a. 1871. 



t Zusammenstellung und Beschveibung sammtlicher im Uebergangsgebirge dei- Eifel vorkommenden 

 Brachiopoden, nebst Abbildungen dei'selben ; PalseontograpMca, ut. cit. 



