The Taconic — Marcou. ii 
tatiis^ a variety of A. trilincatiis ; "it is impossible for us to unite 
Atops pu?ictatiis with Trlarthriis bcckil, either as the same 
species, or even the same genus." Marcou in iS6o, regards 
Atops trilincatiis as a true Sao^ one of the most characteristic 
genera of the primordial fauna of Bohemia and Scandinavia.' 
Since then I have always maintained the primordial character 
of Atops trilineatjts and opposed Mr. Hall's identification with 
Calymene beckii {^'Yh^T'Acovixc.oi Georgia, etc. Mem. Boston 
Soc. Nat. Hist.., vol. iv, p. 128,4th, Boston, iSSS.) 
Mr. Walcott in 1879, I'^'^a^^V years after Barrande and 
Marcou's publications, maintained Mr. Hall's determination and 
placed Atops trilineatus in the upper part of the second fauna^ 
as a JViarihries beckii\ in his j^aper, " Fossils of the Utica slate 
and metamorjohoses of Ti'iarthnis bcckii ( Trans. Albany Inst. ^ 
vol. X, June, 1879, P- -3' Albany). Retracting his opinion of 
1879, Mr. Walcott in 1S86, Bidletin U. S. Geol. Snr. No. jOy 
considers it as a Ptychoparia trilincata retaining only the spe- 
cific name of Emmons, and placing the fossil in the primordial 
fauna, instead of the second fauna, showing how little he knew 
in 1879 *^^ ^'^^ stratigraphic position of Emmons' fossil. In 
1887 Mr. Walcott changes a third time the genus of the fossil, 
calling it Conocoryphc trilincata. ("Fauna of the upper Ta- 
conic of Emmons, in Washington Co., N. Y." Anicr. Jonrn. 
Sci.., vol. xxxiv, p. 137.) 
Mr. S. W. Ford refers the same fossil first to the genus 
Conocephahis.^ iS7i,thento Conoccphalites., 1873, and finally in 
1880 to Conocoryphc; all three genera being primordial ; a fact 
which places him in a special catagory of the opponents to the 
Taconic. 
We have here a remarkable example of false determination 
and wavering of the adversaries of the Taconic. After forty 
four years of opposition, they have not yet arrived at the tie- 
termination of Emmons of 1844; but they h'^^'e conceded first 
that the fossil is not identical with the very characteristic and 
common trilobite of the Utica slate Triarthiis bcckii ; a fact re- 
ceived by Conard, Barrande and Marcou many years before they 
came to it; and second they have admitted the specific name of 
'"The primordial fauna, etc. * * * " (Proceed. Boston Sci. Nat^ 
Hist., vol. vii, p. 371, Boston.) 
