114 



PALJEOKTOLOGY OF NEW-YORK. 



Genus CONOPHYLLUM {nov. gen.). 



[Gr. xwvo?, conus, and cp\fKKov, folium ; in allusion to the inverted conical septa.] 



Coral lum turbinate or subcylindrical, having transverse septa in the form of inverted cones 

 set one vi^ithin the other ; rays or lamellcE very thin, numerous and denticulate. 



In vi^eathered specimens the transverse septa often project beyond the sides of the coral above, 

 and the whole appears somewhat like a series of inverted cones. The weathered surfaces have 

 sometimes the appearance of Cystiphyllum, from the irregular meeting of the upper and 

 under surfaces of the successive transverse septa. 



o07. 1. CONOPHYLLUM NIAGARENSE. 



Pl. XXXII. Fig. 4 o - «. 



Irregularly cylindrical, elongated or subturbinate, more or less expanding above, externally 

 rugose at intervals (when weathered often very rough) ; cup regularly concave, deep ; 

 lamellee thin, distance from each other equal to their thickness, denticulated on their upper and 

 inner edges ; transverse dissepiments corresponding to the concavity, and forming the cell 

 or cup, and extending upwards to the margin. 



In this fossil, the rays become in fact subordinate to the dissepiments ; and the character 

 would be more correctly defined, by describing the coral to consist of a series of concave discs 

 or inverted cones setting one within the other, having their upper surface marked by radiating 

 rows of denticles. The form is very irregular, varying from small, short, turbinate forms, to 

 elongated cylindrical ones in which the diameter scarcely varies throughout. The weathered 

 surfaces present the arrangement of the dissepiments more or less perfectly in numerous speci- 

 m«ft)s. In one or two instances, I have seen specimens where the weathering developed the 

 rays more prominently than the dissepiments, and in such instances the surface is beautifully 

 denticulated (fig. 4 b). 



Fig. 4 a. A specimen of the turbinate form, showing the rays externally. The denticulate rays 



within the cup are also well shown, and the denticles between the dissepiments near 



and below the upper margin of the cup on the outside. 

 FifT. 4 J. A turbinate specimen, showing the denticulate lamellae on the external surface. In the 



interior of the cup, the lamellse are less perfectly denticulate than in 4 a. 

 Fig. 4 c. A small turbinate specimen with the surface worn, showing the successive dissepiments 



and the denticulate lamellae within the cup. 

 Fig. 4 d. The external surface of an unweathered specimen, where the edges of the transverse 



dissepiments project at intervals. 

 Fig. 4 e, /, g. Portions of the interior of the cup enlarged, showing the condition of preservation 



of the denticulated lamellae. 

 Fig. 4 h, i, k, I. The exterior of speci«iens of various sizes, more or less worn, showing in 4 h 



particularly the arrangement of the dissepiments where partially worn down. 



