348 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



tinues for considerable distances in Ontario county. On the sea bottom 

 represented by this layer grew an immense plantation of these crinoids, 

 and, wherever it is exposed horizontally, they are strikingly displayed. 

 The species also occurs in the Cashaqua shales at Naples. The illustra- 

 tions here given are from the original slab found about 1870 by the writer's 

 father, Noah T. Clarke, for whom the specific name was given by Prof. 

 James Hall. These are the first illustrations of the species. 



In many respects the species is like Melocrinus of the Intumescens 

 zone described by Fraipont, Trenkner, v. Koenen, Clarke and others. 



We have found in considerable quantity remains of a Melocrinus in 

 the lower shale beds (Angola shale) at Fox's point, Lake Erie ; but 

 this appears to be distinct from M e 1 o c r. clarkei of the Naples 

 subprovince. 



Scytalocrinus ornatissimus Hall (sp.) 

 Cyathocrinus ornatissimus Hall, Geology of New York; rep't on fourth 

 dist. 1843. P- 2 47> fig- IQ 8 



The illustration accompanying the original account of this species 

 represented a splendid calyx with gracefully curving column and fine sweep 

 of arms. So effective and striking was this design that it was selected as 

 the hall-mark for some of the earlier volumes of the geologic reports, being 

 imprinted on the cover. Some years ago I elicited from Professor Hall the 

 statement that this drawing was a composite design from many fragments 

 in which all the parts represented were not actually shown and that some 

 of this material on which the figure was based had been in the possession of 

 a collector who subsequently made over his collection to Williams College. 

 In later years we have found many evidences of this species from the 

 vicinity of its original locality (Lake Erie shore, town of Portland) recog- 

 nized by the peculiar sculpturing of the columns, but no calyxes have been 

 seen. At my urgent request Prof. H. F. Cleland has made a careful search of 

 the collections under his charge at Williamstown and has found the speci- 

 men here figured, a calyx with arms and column, on the surface of a thin 

 block made up of fragments of columns, the specimen bearing the label in 



