﻿372 
  FORTY-SEVEKTH 
  REPORT 
  ON 
  TEE 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  gain 
  a 
  conception 
  of 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  sponge 
  

   to 
  which 
  these 
  masses 
  of 
  spicules 
  belong, 
  but 
  the 
  discovery 
  is 
  

   nevertheless 
  an 
  interesting 
  one, 
  as 
  such 
  an 
  organism 
  is 
  new 
  to 
  

   these 
  rocks. 
  In 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  essential 
  generic 
  characters 
  except 
  

   as 
  evinced 
  by 
  the 
  large 
  flat 
  bands, 
  the 
  fossils 
  are 
  provisionally 
  

   referred 
  to 
  the 
  genus 
  Hyalostelia, 
  Zittel. 
  

  

  Genus 
  Ceratostigma, 
  nov. 
  

  

  Ceratostigma 
  papillata, 
  sp. 
  nov. 
  

  

  Plate 
  III, 
  figs. 
  3-7. 
  

  

  The 
  calcareous 
  shales 
  of 
  the 
  Hamilton 
  group 
  at 
  450 
  and 
  460 
  

   feet 
  in 
  the 
  Shaft 
  furnished 
  a 
  few 
  fragments 
  of 
  stipes 
  or 
  flattened 
  

   branches 
  of 
  some 
  length, 
  whose 
  surface 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  somewhat 
  

   irregularly 
  arranged, 
  smooth 
  mammiform 
  tubercles, 
  each 
  bearing 
  

   a 
  central 
  pit. 
  The 
  general 
  aspect 
  of 
  these 
  bodies 
  together 
  with 
  

   their 
  black, 
  carbonaceous 
  substance 
  led 
  to 
  a 
  first 
  impression, 
  after 
  

   a 
  cursory 
  examination, 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  of 
  vegetable 
  nature. 
  The 
  

   papillae 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  suggested 
  the 
  exterior 
  of 
  Cyclostigma, 
  while 
  

   it 
  seemed 
  possible 
  that 
  the 
  irregularity 
  in 
  the 
  arrangement 
  of 
  

   these 
  papillae 
  might 
  be 
  paralleled 
  by 
  the 
  structure 
  of 
  the 
  roots 
  

   of 
  this 
  or 
  allied 
  plants 
  of 
  the 
  Devonian. 
  

  

  The 
  novel 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  specimens 
  led 
  me 
  to 
  seek 
  the 
  

   opinion 
  of 
  Sir 
  Wm. 
  Dawson 
  as 
  to 
  their 
  nature, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  in 
  pursu- 
  

   ance 
  of 
  the 
  suggestions 
  expressed 
  by 
  him, 
  after 
  an 
  examination 
  

   of 
  the 
  fossils, 
  that 
  some 
  account 
  of 
  their 
  structure 
  and 
  investiga- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  their 
  affinities 
  is 
  here 
  given. 
  

  

  Concerning 
  these 
  bodies 
  Sir 
  William 
  wrote 
  under 
  date 
  of 
  Jan- 
  

   uary 
  1, 
  1892 
  : 
  " 
  They 
  are 
  quite 
  new 
  to 
  me, 
  and 
  I 
  somewhat 
  doubt 
  

   their 
  vegetable 
  nature. 
  The 
  pustules 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  are 
  not 
  

   regularly 
  arranged, 
  nor 
  of 
  one 
  size, 
  and 
  do 
  not 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  seals 
  

   or 
  articulations 
  of 
  leaves 
  or 
  roots, 
  but 
  rather 
  round 
  papillae 
  with 
  

   central 
  pores. 
  When 
  sliced 
  and 
  magnified 
  they 
  show 
  a 
  thin, 
  

   finely 
  granular 
  carbonaceous 
  film 
  with 
  calcareous 
  matter 
  in 
  a 
  

   crystalline 
  state 
  within. 
  In 
  some 
  places 
  the 
  calcite 
  shows 
  traces 
  

   of 
  spicules. 
  I 
  should 
  be 
  inclined 
  to 
  compare 
  the 
  specimens 
  with 
  

   encrusting 
  or 
  branching 
  Alcyonoid 
  or 
  Actinoid 
  polyps." 
  At 
  a 
  

   later 
  date 
  Sir 
  William 
  again 
  wrote, 
  communicating 
  the 
  opinion 
  of 
  

   Prof. 
  D. 
  P. 
  Penhallow, 
  to 
  whom 
  he 
  had 
  submitted 
  the 
  specimens, 
  

   that 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  of 
  vegetable 
  nature. 
  

  

  