﻿338 DK. L. MOTSEY ON FAYOLIA PROM THE [Aug. I9IO, 



suture, a row of circular or elliptical scars 2 to 4 mm. high, 2*3 mm. broad and 

 3-8 mm. apart. The line of suture of the valves, slightly projecting, carries a 

 spiral spreading collerette, 5 to 8 mm. broad, with an entire margin. 



Prof. Zeiller then discusses the relationship of these organisms 

 with Palceoxyris, and mentions the discovery in 1884 by Weiss of 

 Gyrocalamus palatums in the Lower Permian (Lebacher Beds) 

 of Alben, north of Cusel. 1 This species he tentatively considers 

 identical with his Fayolia grandis. He notices the discovery, in 

 the Chemung Group (base of the Upper Devonian) of Southern 

 New York and of Pennsylvania, of Spiralis major and Sp. 

 randalli, described by Newberry, 2 which he considers to be a badly 

 preserved Fayolia. He expresses himself very guardedly as to their 

 nature, believing them to belong to the vegetable kingdom. 



In the second volume of the ' Flore Fossile (Terrain Houiller de 

 CommeDtry),' 3 however, having been in communication with 

 Scheiik, 4 who in 1867 had called attention to the resemblance of 

 Palceoscyris to the egg-cases of Elasmobranchs, and in 1888 had 

 compared Fayolia with the same egg-cases, citing those of several 

 tropical Rays, Zeiller, in an emendatory note, strongly upholds 

 the animal nature of these organisms, comparing them with the 

 egg-cases of Castration philippi and of the Chimgeroid fishes. 



C. E. Weiss in 1887 described another species — Fayolia sterze- 

 liana, 3 from Borna near Chemnitz (horizon : Hainichen-Ebersdorfer 

 Beds = Culm = Lower Coal Measures). This is distinguished from 

 Fayolia palatina (or F. grandis) by its smaller size. The scars 

 are smaller, 1 mm. instead of 4 mm. in diameter, and are placed 

 closer together — where ten scars occur in 17'5 mm. on Fayolia 

 sterzeliana, ten occur in 60 mm. on F. palatina. The valves are 

 marked by fine weak spiral striations, which are absent in the 

 other species. The scars are circular or slightly oval in form, and 

 stand on a convex bar or ridge. The ' collerette ' appears to have 

 an entire margin. 



Fayolia dentata, Seward. 



The only British specimen hitherto discovered was found by 

 Mr. Best of Darlington in the Lower Coal-Measure sandstones of 

 Stainton Quarries, Barnard Castle, in 1887, and was described by 

 Prof. Seward in the ' Naturalist ' as Fayolia dentata. The figure 

 and description of this, however, differ from those of Zeiller's type 

 specimen, in that the spine scars (seen for the most part on the 

 impression, op. tit. fig. 1) are smaller, and more closely placed, 

 agreeing in this respect more nearly with Weiss's F. sterzeliana, 

 though a re-examination of the fossil would be necessary before 



1 This fossil was first named Gyrocalamus by Weiss ; but later in the same 

 book he changes the name to Fayolia, on seeing Eeinault & Zeiller's account of 

 Fayolia in the Comptes Rendus Acad. Sci. Paris. 



2 Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. vol. iii (1885) pp. 219-20 & pi. xviii, figs. 1-3. 



3 Vol. ii (1890) App. to pt. i, p. 369. 



4 'Die Fossilen Pflanzenreste' 1888, p. 188. 



5 ' Ueber Fayolia sterzeliana, n. sp.' Jahrb. d. K. Preuss. Geol. Landesanst. 

 1887, p. 94 & pi. iv. 



6 'Naturalist ' 1894, p. 233 & pi. i, figs. 1-2. 



