Van Tuyl and Berckhemer — Problematic Fossil. 275 



Art. XXII. — A Problematic Fossil from the Catskill Forma- 

 tion • by Francis M. Yan Tuyl and Fritz Berckhemer. 



During a recent geological excursion of the students of 

 Columbia University in the Delaware Water Gap region of 

 Fastern Pennsylvania, Mr. C. W. lioness and Mr. F. M. Van 

 Tuyl discovered in the Catskill red shale in a cut of the Dela- 

 ware, Lackawanna & Western Ry., a short distance east of the 

 station of Henrysville, a very peculiar organism which, on 

 account of the scarcity of fossils in this formation and the sin- 

 gularity of its characters, seems to be worthy of description. 



Rectogloma problematica, n. g. ; n. sp. 



(See Fig. 1, nat. size.) 



Fig. 1. 



Fig. 1. Rectogloma problematica. Nat. size. 



Professor Grabau has generously consented to let us undertake 

 this work. 



The fossil occurs in a bed of red shale 5 or 6 ft. thick which 

 is interstratified with other red beds. There are no marine 

 fossils associated, nor do such fossils occur in adjacent layers. 

 We have not been able to identify the form either specifically 

 or generically, and have given it the name Rectogloma prob- 

 lematical a description of which follows : 



Form slightly tapering, elliptical in transverse section, about 

 two-thirds as thick as wide ; apex terminating in a spiral coil. 

 Surface marked by closely-placed sinuous sutures which grad- 

 ually disappear on the lateral margins. Distance between 

 sutures 1 to 3 mm , very gradually decreasing towards the apex 



