Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. 201 



included. Professor Ferdinand Roemer made the mistake in 

 1849 and 1852 in referring a New Braunsfelds and Red River 

 species of Gryphcea to the G. Pitcher i of Dr. Morton. Fol- 

 lowing Roemer, and on account of a complete lack of specimens 

 for comparison, I referred the Gryphcea of Comet Creek to the 

 G. Pitcheri, although I was in doubt as to the correctness of 

 the determination, for my specimens differed considerably 

 from those figured by Roemer, and from the one figured by 

 Morton. But at the same time I took the precaution to pub- 

 lish excellent and exact figures, in my two works, issued in 

 1855 and 1858. For several years, after my hasty visit to 

 Comet Creek, I was convinced that the G. Pitcheri found 

 there was a different species from the one published by Roemer 

 and the one published by Morton ; and in 1861, I called the 

 Comet Creek species 'G. Pcemeri, and have even since used 

 that very appropriate name for the G. Pitcheri published 

 with figures by Roemer and myself. (" Notes on the Cretaceous 

 of Texas." Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., Jan., 1861, vol. 

 viii, p. 95.) Dr. C. A. White did not make use of the 

 name G. Poemeri and without explanation he many years after 

 called the species Exogyra fomiculata, changing the generic 

 and the specific name.* 



This is the w T ay that erroneous paleontology has been con- 

 stantly used by my adversaries. 



We read in Mr. Hill's paper, pp. 225-226 : " The species 

 called throughout this paper Gryphcea fomiculata White, is 

 the same as the one from Comet Creek, Oklahoma, first figured 

 by Prof. Marcou as Gryphcea Pitcheri Morton, and later called 

 by him Gryphcea Poemeri. The nomenclature of the Gryphseata 

 oysters of the Comanche series will be thoroughly revised in a 

 separate paper which the writer has in print. Prof. Marcou's 

 name G. Poemeri probably has precedence over G. fomiculata 

 White, but it may be shown neither of these will stand." 



" This Gryphsea so abundant at Belvidere is likewise found 

 in great numbers in the Kiamitia clays, not only about Denison 

 and Fort Worth, but also along a persistent line of 300 miles 

 from Goodland, Indian Territory, to south of the Brazos in 

 Texas. Its hemera (sic) in Texas is exclusively confined to 

 the Preston beds, and Prof. Marcou has always held that it is a 

 Cretaceous form ; it is the species upon which he established 

 the existence of the alleged Neocomian in America." 



* The Exogyra Texana Roem. or Exogijra flabellata G-oldf. is also a sort of poly- 

 morph fossil like the so-called Gryphcea Pitcheri. The only way to put an end to 

 the confusion created by calling almost every Exogyra, Ex. Texana and every 

 Gryphsea, Gr. Pitcheri, is to make a complete revision of all the Exogyra and 

 Gryphaea existing, with very careful study of each species and ihe exact location 

 of each stratum. 



