aturali 
VOL. IV. 
KANTSAS C.I VY. KANSAS, OCl'OBER 1889. 
NO. 8. 
ForTHK Naturalist. 
Recent Discoveries of Fossils in K. C. 
By David H. Todd. 
One of the most important and iiitei-- 
estins finds of fossils was made in Kan- 
sas Citv in tiie recent discovery of 
fossils in I lie, excavation for the founda- 
tion t'l.'i- ilie new dry j^'oods house of 
Bull''ni' Moore & Emery. Many v^vv 
tine fields have been opened up. and a 
lar"e number of masjuifieent. fossils 
foulid but none ha\-e seemed to so en- 
thuse I he Kansas Oity collectors a< 
this last discovery. The fo-^sils weri^ 
mostly found in tlie liinc Shale, in thi- 
most perfect state of preservation of any 
found in this local- 
ity. 
Amon;i' the num- 
ber were several spe- 
ides of Plevkoto- 
.Al.Vl<I.\, PliODtlCTUS, 
ScmzuDUS. Bklle- 
jiopH<.)N, Nautilus, 
AVICTULO 1' E CTE N, 
(Jai-amites. ferns, 
nuts. spon^es,*(fenes- 
tella,) and several 
spceies of Crinoids. 
The Crinoids, 
some five or six (5 or 
6) spiecesiu iiiiiiiber 
;ire tlie most inter- 
eslinjj and import- 
ant, as tliese. to nay 
knowled^-e, are tlie 
first perfect speci- 
mens ever found in 
this locality. 
The jjeneral ap- 
pearance of this Cri- 
noid is such as to 
malie a very striking 
t^ff'ect in any collec- 
tion. It was first 
center is full and well developed. I do 
not think this comes from any crushed 
condiiion, as the marldng-s are to well 
defined. As to the naming of this Cri- 
noid, we cannot as yet settle on anything 
definite. 
We find, liowever, from llaydenV Sur- 
vey of Nebraska, that Dr. Scliumard, 
from fragments found, names it Scaplu'o- 
crinnsi?) Jieinisphf/riciis. but also adds 
the following: (see p. 148 & 149.) 
■"I nliitlM- vault of these (.'rinoids is 
kiiiiwii i will bediifirult lo detei-mine 
found in 
condition 
Siihu'y J. 
this citv. 
(10) arms 
a perfect 
by Mr. 
Hare, of 
It has fen 
or Tenta- 
cle.?, Bas a 1, P r o- 
boscis, and Feelers, 
This species is 
one of t li e m o s t 
interesting found, 
witli its arms i-adi- 
ating in every direc- 
tion, giving it the 
appearance o f a 
huge spider. I'he 
stem, oi' trunk, has a 
star shape with five 
points, or peiitagen- 
al. 
Tlie probo.5cis, or 
stomach, forms a 
very interesting part, as in specimens 1 
have examined 1 liud a number where 
the lower part of the proboscis seems to 
have been broken or lost and a new oi- 
.second growth taken place. The pro- 
boscis in full grown specimens will vary 
in length from one and one-half (fi^) to 
three(3 )inches. While in some specimens 
the proboscis is slender, in others the 
vvliether they are more nearly allied to 
the PoTERiocRixus or Cyathockinus. 
'•V^rom analogy, liowever, I am led to 
think they mill be found to posse!is the 
large. protonged trunk or proboscis of the 
POTEKiOCKiNUS group, instead of the 
merely vaulted summit and lateral tube 
of Cyath(_»orinus. 
•'When we compare the structure of 
this Crinoid, as far as yet known, with 
that of Scaphiocrinus simplex Hall, 
the type of that group, it will be seen to 
agree in all respects, aside from mere 
specific characters, such as its concave 
under side, slight difference of form etc., 
though it differs more widely from sever- 
al of the otlier species that have been re- 
ferred to tliat gioup, in having but a 
.single anal piece, composing a part of 
the walls of the cup. flence I have been 
led to [ilace it pirovisionall}' in the Scap- 
iiiocKiNUS group, generally regarded 
as a sub-genus under 
POTERIOCRIXUS."' 
Consequently the 
finding of this cri- 
noid will at least set- 
tle the disputed 
jioint as to its clpssi- 
lication. 
Mr. AVm. Curley, 
of Danville, 111., on 
examination of this 
specimen, jironoun- 
ced it to be '-the 
wonder of coal 
measure crinoids." 
With his large coj- 
It -tiou of Aiaej ii..aii 
and European Cri- 
noids, he will be 
able to determine it 
definately. About 
thirty specimens of 
this cj-moid were ob- 
tained and are in the 
collections of Mi'. 
Siil.J.Hare, E. Butts. 
Chas. Dawson and 
myself. 
Other spe'cimens 
belonging to this 
same type w ere 
found. The Basil is 
the same in structure 
but some smaller, 
while the Tentacles 
are much heavier. 
On all the specimens 
of this type 1 ha\«fe 
examined, the pro- 
boscis is not founds 
and only .seven (7) or 
eight (8) Tentacles. 
A perfect Evpachy- 
criniis was obtain- 
ed, and is ii, the col- 
lection of Mr. E. 
Butts of this city; 
\ also a few fine 
• j . ispecimens of Zsa- 
'criuvs .however only 
jone or two were ob- 
tained in a condition 
to be classed as typical specimens. 
A very important item connected with 
the finding of these specimens is the ab- 
sence of the Trilobite. I h ive not found 
anywhere in the Shale the slightest in- 
dication of of" the Philipsis major. 
The finding of plants and nuts indi- 
cates a very unsettled condition of the 
