﻿206 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  • 
  

  

  Corematocladus 
  densa 
  sp. 
  nov. 
  

  

  Plate 
  3, 
  figures 
  1-5 
  

  

  The 
  thallus 
  is 
  small, 
  about 
  28 
  mm 
  in 
  diameter 
  and 
  30+ 
  nim 
  long. 
  

   It 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  thick 
  central 
  stem 
  or 
  stipe 
  which 
  most 
  probably 
  was 
  

   a 
  cylindric 
  branch, 
  but 
  possibly 
  may 
  also 
  have 
  been 
  platelike 
  and 
  

   attached 
  to 
  other 
  bodies, 
  thus 
  representing 
  only 
  the 
  attachment 
  

   plate. 
  Its 
  surface 
  is 
  corticated, 
  being 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  pavement 
  

   of 
  plates, 
  some 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  distinctly 
  ringlike 
  [see 
  pi. 
  3, 
  fig. 
  4, 
  

   5]. 
  These 
  rings 
  seem 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  the 
  bases 
  of 
  the 
  filamentous 
  

   branchlets 
  whicli 
  from 
  their 
  distinct 
  preservation 
  may 
  also 
  have 
  

   been 
  strongly 
  corticated. 
  The 
  latter 
  bifurcate 
  frequently, 
  the 
  

   bifurcations 
  apparently 
  following 
  each 
  other 
  more 
  rapidly 
  in 
  the 
  

   distal 
  portions 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  places 
  they 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  whorled, 
  divid- 
  

   ing 
  into 
  three 
  or 
  probably 
  four 
  branchlets. 
  There 
  are 
  six 
  or 
  more 
  

   bifurcations 
  in 
  each 
  branchlet 
  from 
  the 
  base 
  to 
  the 
  extremity. 
  The 
  

   branchlets 
  diverge 
  at 
  small 
  angles 
  and 
  become 
  subparallel. 
  They 
  

   appear 
  rather 
  rigid 
  and 
  become 
  thinner 
  with 
  each 
  bifurcation, 
  the 
  

   basal 
  portion 
  reaching 
  about 
  .3 
  mm 
  in 
  width, 
  the 
  distal 
  portion 
  

   but 
  .1 
  mm 
  and 
  less. 
  They 
  are 
  seen 
  to 
  be 
  furnished 
  with 
  trans- 
  

   verse 
  walls 
  that 
  in 
  the 
  proximal 
  portion 
  are 
  about 
  twice 
  as 
  far 
  

   apart 
  from 
  each 
  other 
  as 
  the 
  branchlet 
  is 
  wide 
  and 
  that 
  divide 
  the 
  

   latter 
  into 
  squarish 
  segments 
  in 
  the 
  distal 
  portion. 
  Directly 
  below 
  

   the 
  bifurcations 
  the 
  continuity 
  of 
  the 
  branchlet 
  is 
  frequently 
  seen 
  

   to 
  be 
  interrupted 
  and 
  the 
  segments 
  are 
  slightly 
  inflated 
  on 
  both 
  

   sides 
  of 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  interruption 
  giving 
  the 
  impression 
  of 
  an 
  

   articulation. 
  

  

  The 
  systematic 
  position 
  of 
  this 
  small 
  but 
  striking 
  form 
  is 
  at 
  

   present 
  still 
  very 
  doubtful. 
  The 
  habitus 
  is 
  decidedly 
  more 
  that 
  of 
  

   an 
  alga 
  than 
  of 
  either 
  a 
  graptolite 
  or 
  of 
  a 
  colonial 
  stock 
  of 
  sertula- 
  

   fian 
  or 
  anthozoan 
  affinities, 
  although 
  the 
  strong 
  and 
  glossy 
  carbona- 
  

   ceous 
  test 
  seems 
  highly 
  suggestive 
  of 
  the 
  g'raptolite 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  

   fossil. 
  The 
  absence, 
  however, 
  of 
  cell 
  apertures 
  on 
  the 
  multitude 
  of 
  

   branchlets^ 
  and 
  the 
  distinctness 
  of 
  the 
  transverse 
  walls 
  where 
  the 
  

   test 
  is 
  broken 
  through 
  the 
  middle 
  (they 
  do 
  not 
  show 
  on 
  the 
  smooth 
  

   ■outside) 
  are 
  characters 
  favoring 
  a 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  vegetable 
  king- 
  

   dom. 
  It 
  must 
  not 
  be 
  forgotten 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  hand 
  that 
  the 
  main 
  

   axis 
  or 
  stipe 
  might 
  be 
  the 
  theciferous 
  part, 
  the 
  ringlike 
  bases 
  of 
  the 
  

   branches, 
  the 
  apertures 
  of 
  thecae, 
  while 
  the 
  branchlets 
  themselves 
  

   were 
  but 
  filamentous 
  processes 
  of 
  the 
  thecae, 
  the 
  form 
  being 
  a 
  Den- 
  

  

  ^ 
  There 
  were 
  seen 
  a 
  few 
  subcircular 
  scars 
  or 
  openings 
  on 
  the 
  test 
  which 
  

   however 
  are 
  in 
  the 
  place 
  of 
  bifurcations 
  and 
  apparently 
  are 
  produced- 
  by 
  

   the 
  breaking 
  ofif 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  branches 
  at 
  the 
  articulation. 
  

  

  