330 E. W. Berry — An American Spirulirostra. 



In addition to the type of the genus, Spirulirostra bet- 

 lardi? I know of four additional records. These are 

 Spirulirostra hoemesi, described by von Koenen 4 from 

 the Miocene of northern Germany; Spirulirostra szaj- 

 nochae, described by Wojcick 5 from the Clavulina szabot 

 beds (Oligocene) of Galicia. This last is represented by 

 a much worn rostrum showing traces of 7 septa of the 

 phragmocone ; there is no ventral boss to the rostrum and 

 the specimen is smaller than the American form and much 

 like Spirulirostra hoemesi. It may represent the same 

 species as Roemer's record from the Oligocene of West- 

 phalia. The third is Spirulirostra curta Tate 6 repre- 

 sented by rare, much worn specimens from the marly lime- 

 stone of Janjukian age (Miocene) of Victoria, Australia. 

 I fail to see any material differences between Tate's 

 species and Spirulirostra bellardi d'Orbigny. The 

 fourth is an obscure specimen from the Oligocene of 

 "Westphalia, named Spirulirostra sp., by Roemer 7 , and of 

 undetermined affinity. 



Spirulirostra hoemesi was based upon two specimens 

 from Dingdan, in western Westphalia. This species is 

 shorter and stouter than the American form, with a more 

 prominent and forward projecting ventral boss, with the 

 phragmocone starting in the ventral boss as in Spiruli- 

 rostra bellardi, and with a suggestion of a proostracum 

 in the short, narrowed and truncated dorsal forward 

 extension of the rostrum. 



These occurrences suggest something of the probable 

 habits of the animal. If we consider merely the Miocene 

 records, which are more or less nearly synchronous, the 

 unusual and rare occurrence of these fossils, at such 

 widely removed localities as the Roman Mediterranean, 

 North Germany, the Caribbean region, and Australia, 

 appear to indicate that the animal was a pelagic form. 

 Whether it had the habit of resorting to shallow water 

 seasonally to deposit its eggs, as do some of the existing 



3 d'Orbigny, A., Ann. Sci. Nat., 2 ser., tome 17, p. 374, pi. 11, figs. 1-6, 

 1842. I have counted 28 reproductions of d'Orbigny 's figures in various 

 text-books, and this probably does not exhaust the record. 



4 Koenen, A. von, Palaeont., Band 16, p. 145, pi. 14, fig. 6a-h, 1869. 



5 Wojcick, M. K., Bull, intern, acad. sci. Cracovie, No. 10, 1903, p. 802, pi. 

 17, fig. 32, 1904. 



6 Tate, E., Proc. Eoy. Soc. N. S. Wales, vol. 27, p. 170, pi. 1, fig. 1, 1893. 



7 Eoemer, F., Neues Jahrb., 1851, p. 576. 



