SOLENOPSIS MINOR. 413 



diagnosis than that of M'Coy (oj). cit., p. 217), and this author describes the 

 interior, some details of which I quote on his authority, as I have not been 

 able to see a complete cast of the interior in British Carboniferous specimens. 

 Three species are described by him from Devonian rocks, and he considers it 

 possible that GuUellus rectus, Salter, from Ludlow rocks, may also belong to the 

 genus. 



Two species of the genus only appear to be present in Carboniferous rocks of 

 Great Britain, and in Belgian rocks of this age de Koninck has also shown the 

 presence of one, a single fragment, which he refers to S. pelar/lcus, Goldfuss, 

 having been obtained. Solenella orbitosa, founded by de Ryckholt on a very 

 incomplete shell, and doubtfully referred by de Koninck to Solenopsis, is, I think, 

 far too fragmentary for the foundation of a species, and too obscure even to speak 

 with certainty as to its generic affinities, but it probably should be referred to 

 the species under discussion. Beushausen proposes to place the genus in a family 

 Solenopsidse ; but I think the affinity to Scmjuinolites is close enough to place 

 them in the same family. 



Fischer (op. cit., p. 1112) says, " The shell has the form of Splienia, and 

 is very much elongated;" but the first part of this observation is not easily recon- 

 ciled with the diagnosis of this genus which he gives at p. 1122 of his work, or 

 with the figure of the type species, Sphenia Bingliami. 



The shell of Solenopsis is quite distinct from Solen or Palaeosolen, both in 

 general form and the absence of gaping ends. It undoubtedly is far more closely 

 allied to Sanguinolites. 



Solenopsis minor, M'Coij, 1844. Plate LI, figs. 3 — 5. 



Solen pelagicus, Portloch, 184-3. Kep. Geol. Loiuloadei-ry, p. 4il, pi. xsxvi, 



fig. 4. 

 Solenopsis minor, M'Coy, 1844. Synops. Carb. Toss. Ireland, p. 47, pi. viii, fig. 2. 

 Solen? pelagicus (Solenopsis minor), J/orr/s, 1854. Cat. Brit. Pos."., 2ud edit., 



p. 224. 

 Ltonsia minor, d'Orhiffny, 1850. Prodrome de Paleoutol, pt. i, p. 128. 

 Solenopsis pelagicus, Baily, 1862. Expl. Sheet 127, Geol. Siirv. Ireland, p. 9, 



fig. 2 d. 



— — Bigshy, 1877. Thesaurus Devonico-Carbouiferus, p. 315. 



— — de Koninch, 1885. Ann. Mus. Eoy. Hist. Nat. Beige, 



vol. xi, p. 89, pi. XV, fig. 26. 



— — Mheridge, 1888. Brit. Foss., pt. i. Palaeozoic, p. 291. 



Specific Characters. — Shell small, very inequilateral, transversely elongate, 

 lanceolate ; narrowed posteriorly by the approach of the upper and lower borders, 



