SECONDARY AND TERTIARY FORMATIONS OF NORTH AMERICA. 175 



the cellules. Anterior surface granulate or transversely and faintly wrinkled. In 

 two cases we noticed a large body, probably an ovicell, of an elongated ovoid or sub- 

 cylindrical form, arising in one case from the middle of the anterior face, and in the 

 other instance from one side of the anterior surface, projecting upwards and forwards, 

 as long as three cellules and coarsely granulate over the whole surface. They arise 

 gradually and end abuptly. We could detect no natural opening, but through an 

 accidental fracture in one of them we saw the interior surface, smooth and polished. 



Common at Santa Barbara, Cal. Miocene. 



This species can be readily distinguished by the filiform shape and serrate edge. 

 The cellules are about "01 inch in length. 



CAVEA, d'Orbigny. 1852. 



Colony fixed by the base, dichotomous, cylindrical, when perfect presenting a den- 

 droid appearance. Cellules placed in very regular longitudinal lines and quincunx 

 around the branches, tubular, but slightly or not at all salient; anterior face below 

 the opening, pierced by regular pores variable in number in different species, but 

 generally arranged in two longitudinal lines. 



Distinguished from Glavicavea by its dendroid form, and from Entalophora by the 

 cellules always being provided with the fossets or pores below the opening. From 

 Heteropora by being more slender, by the cells being arranged in very regular longi- 

 tudinal lines, and by the entire absence of abortive cellules. 



C. prisca, n. s., fig. 67. — Colony slender, dendroid, branches generally straight, sur- 

 rounded by about a dozen lines of cellules. Cellules separated laterally by a distinct, 

 acute, slightly waved ridge ; placed in regular quincunx, sides formed of two straight 

 lines meeting at a very obtuse angle about the middle of the cellule, so as to make it 

 widest at that part, (immediately between the openings of the two adjoining cellules), 

 and to make the cellule a very elongated hexagon with the ends curved. Anterior 

 end of the cellule rounded and bordered by a raised lip, smaller than the longitudinal 

 ridges; opening circular to slightly elliptical, when the greatest diameter is longitu- 

 dinal; sometimes a faint lip at the proximal margin of the cellular opening. Surface 

 of the cellules pierced by two longitudinal series of three pores each, placed at regular 

 intervals. 



We have some doubts as to the geological age of this fossil. It occurs abundantly 

 in a light fawn-colored shaly limestone at Fort Belknap, Texas, associated with Po- 

 sidonia Moorei, Gabb, Spirifer camera la*. Morton, and other mollusca of a decidedly 

 Carboniferous aspect, resting on rocks of undoubtedly Carboniferous age, and below 

 Cretaceous rocks. Dr. Moore thinks it probable that the rock may be more recent 

 than the Carboniferous and composed of debris of rocks of that age. This idea appears 

 tenable from the appearance of the rock, and more especially so since the genus Cavea 



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