CONOHOLOGICAL WRITINGS. 89 



a Phryganpa. Since they are all brittle, arenaceous or membrana- 

 ceous. Yet the worm that forms it and dwells in it, (as no mollusca 

 form tubular shells) is unknown, and I was told none has ever been 

 seen in it. A singular idea was suggested to me by Prof. Green 



that it might be a fossil's shell ! Since it is found in a rich fossil 



[122] 

 region ; and has a stony appearance ; but being found free, in the 

 water or on the banks of the stream, and never imbedded in stones 

 it can hardly be so. The subject must remain doubtful, until other 

 consimilar Genera are found. Meantime I give a figure of it, and 

 its description ; whereby it appears to approximate to the Sabel- 

 lites and other tubular annelides, perhaps also to my G. Potami- 

 phus of the R. Ohio, published in 1819, whose worm I detected ; 

 but its shell is arenaceous open at both ends and operculate before. 

 My name of Psephides means gravelly tube. 



PsEPHiDES. Cylindrical-tubular shell, open before, closed behind, 

 opening round entire, inside smooth hard stony, outside 'entirely 

 formed by cemented gravel and little shells. 



Psephides paradoxa Raf. Uncial, diameter equal throughout, 

 about one sixth of length and obtuse, inside brown, outside versi- 

 color. — Length less than one inch. The gravel of the outside is of 

 all colors, formed by small angular fragments of shale, slate, clorite, 

 quartz and other stones seldom found in Sherman Creek .' and 

 even entire fossil shells or fragments of fossils. 



0. S. Rafinesque. 



Fossils of Sherman Creek. 



I have discovered this year, this new locality for fossil remains, 

 and collected about 50 sp. in a tract of 5 miles, near the Kennedy 

 Springs, in the Quaker hills and Mt. Pisgah forming a geological 

 basin of red, yellow, brown and white sandstone, gravel or pebble 

 stone and conglomerate, holding chert of all colors. The fossils are 

 found in all, and even the chert or Petrosilex. They are of the 

 oldest formation. 



I mean to give hereafter a full account of this fine oryctological 

 region and all the fossils collected in it. I shall here merely indicate 

 them. Most of them are new. 



Vegetable fossils. Pucites 2 Sp. 



Animal fossils. Porostomites 2 Sp. Encrinites 2 Sp. Turbino- 

 lite 1 Sp. 



