32 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



lists of fossils from the Guelph formation in the Geology of Canada and 

 that he has failed to recognize it in any of the later collections received by 

 the survey. 



A comparison of the specimens from New York with the original 

 description and figures by Edwards and Haime leaves no doubt that, if 

 their species is valid, these may appropriately be referred to it, for they 

 show the difference in size of cells and the average cell diameter given by 

 those authors. 



Mr Lambe, however, has lately 1 expressed the view that the specimens 

 determined by Nicholson as F. f o r b e s i are identical with F. basalticus 

 Goldfuss, from which Edwards and Haime had separated it first. These 

 authors themselves, state that there occur all transitions between the two 

 sizes of cells, and, as this difference in our specimens is much less marked, 

 there seems to be good reason for doubting the validity of that species 

 (F. forbesi). In fact, Mr Lambe describes F. basalticus Goldfuss as 

 subject to many variations in outward form and in the size and shape of the 

 corallites. As, however, the dimensions for the corallites are given by him 

 as varying from 2 mm, or even less, to 4 or 5 mm, while in the Guelph 

 specimens, as in those described by Edwards and Haime, the diameter of 

 the two kinds of cells does not quite average 1 and 2 mm ; and as Mr 

 Lambe does not cite F. basalticus from the Guelph beds but only from 

 the Onondaga limestone of Ontario, it seems preferable still to refer these 

 specimens to F. forbesi E. & H. Both Nicholson \op. cit^\ and Freeh 2 

 mention as an additional descriptive feature of this species the less sharply 

 subcylindric form of the cells, a very marked feature of the specimens from 

 Rochester and Shelby. The difference in the size of the cells is reported 

 as most marked in young specimens, but becomes obliterated with progress- 

 ing growth. 



"Contrib. Canadian Pal. v. 4, pt 1, p. 8. 

 2 Lethaea Palaeozoica, 1:422. 



