Cincinnati Society of Natural History. MANUAL OF THE PALEONTOLOGY OF THE CINCINNATI GROUP. BY JOSEPH F. JAMES, M. SC, F. G. S. A. PART III. (Continued from Vol. xiv, p. 163.) (Read by Title June 7, 1892.) Sub-class STROMATOPOROIDEA. A group of Hydrozoa, with a calcareous and frequently large-sized "coenosteum" or skeleton; varying in form from a spherical or irregular and sometimes branched mass, to a thin, flattened expansion; frequently attached to some foreign body by a single point, or by an epithecal membrane; exhibiting, more or less clearly, a series of concentric laminae, separated by interlaminar spaces; the former arising from processes given off at certain definite points from rods or pillars running, either between two laminae, or crossing several in succession; outer surface with numerous minute pores, or obtuse, imper- forate projections. The group is confined to Silurian and Devonian rocks, and is made by Nicholson to include the aberrant Beatricea, as well as the typical Stromatopora, (Man. of Pal., vol. 1, 1889, pp. 229-231). In the Cincinnati Group three genera are represented, the characters of which are given below. Genus 1.—STROMATOPORA, Goldfuss, 1826. Skeleton (coenosteum) consisting of concentric, calcareous laminae, separated by distinct interlaminar spaces, which are crossed by numerous radial pillars; radiating water canals and surface grooves sometimes present, and placed around minor centers; openings of large canals (oscula) also some- times present; growing in irregular masses, sometimes with Paleontology of the Cincinnati Group. 89 a foreign body as a nucleus; spreading out into extended expansions, covered inferiorly by a thin, striated, calcareous epitheca, or else growing in thin layers parasitically upon for- eign objects. (Goldfuss, Petrefac. Germ., 1826, p. 22; Nich. & Murie, Jour. Linn. Soc. Lond., Zool., vol. 14, 1877, p. 217). Remarks.—First defined by Goldfuss in 1826, the above description is taken from Nicholson and Murie's Monograph of the Stromatoporoidea. Although it has been stated by one author that the genus does not occur in Lower Silurian rocks, there are certainly some species that with the present defini- tion can be referred here with justice. The forms given below have been found in the Cincinnati Group. Key to Species. a. Free ; hollow, tubular or cylindrical. 1. tubularis; outer surface without monticules. 2. subcylindrica; outer surface with prominent monticules. b. Parasitic, incrusting shells, corals and other sub- stances. 3. lichenoides; surface rugose; occasional large canals. 4. scabra; surface with prominent monticules. 5. papillata; surface granular, papillae closely set. 6. ludlowensis; both free and parasitic; surface rough and with both minute pores and large oscula. c. Massive. 7. hindei; surface with low, obscure monticules. 8. indianiensis; monticules very numerous and prominent. 1.—S. TUBULARIS, U. P. James, 1884. Cylindrical or tubular, hollow, 2 to 2^2 inches in diameter and 1 inch or more long; laminae about ^0 inch thick, irregu- lar, wavy, with serrate edges; interspaces thin; oscula at irregular intervals; central cavity of tube filled with broken shells, corals, or masses of clay, or sometimes entirely empty. (Jour. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 7, 1884, p. 139.) Locality.— Cincinnati, Morrow and Lebanon, Ohio. Remarks.— A curious and well-marked species, showing in weathered specimens the characteristic laminae. Some speci- 90 Cincinnati Society of Natural History. mens still have the central cavity filled with foreign material, as in the original figured specimen, while in others this has entirely disappeared. The specimens are then circular, one in particular being napkin-like in shape, without any indica- tion of its having been broken at either end. 2.— S. SUBCYIVINDRICA, U. P. James, 1884. Subcylindrical, hollow, sometimes compressed; exterior surface covered with prominent monticules, y1^ to 2V of an inch high, irregularly distributed; apices and slopes of these with radiating lines or depressions, giving them a stellate aspect; spaces between the monticules covered with circular or elongate papillae, -^ of an inch apart; no surface pores; specimens curved, 2 to 2)4, inches long; internal structure irregularly porous. (Jour. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 7, 1884, p. 20). Labechia montifera, Ulrich, Contrib. to Am. Paleont., vol. 1, 1886, p. 33. Locality.— Morrow and Clarksville, Ohio, and Madison, Indiana. Remarks.— This species is readily distinguished from the previous one. Both are hollow, the interior cavity being filled with some foreign substance in each, but the outer sur- face is very different in having prominent monticules, the tops and sides of which have openings in them. Labechia montifera, referred to here as a synonym, was described in 1886. There are no features given for it which justify its separation as a distinct species. 3.— S. (?) UCHENOIDES, U. P. James, 1879. Coenosteum a thin expansion, irregular in outline, parasitic on corals; yb to % inch in diameter, and % to y^ line or more thick; surface rugose or undulating, and with small, irregu- larly-shaped pores, with occasional larger, circular oscula- like openings; in some specimens larger and more irregularly- shaped pores are found about the margin. (The Paleontolo- gist, No. 3, Jan. 15, 1879, p. 18). Locality.— Cincinnati, Lebanon, Batavia, Blanchester, etc., O. Paleontology of the Cincinnati Group. 91 Remarks.— This species differs markedly from both the foregoing. It is a parasitic form, growing on various species of brachipoda and corals. The outer surface shows both large and small pores. 4.— S. SCABRA, U. P. James, 1879. Coenosteum a thin crust on foreign bodies, (shells or corals), one line or less thick, made up, apparently, of very thin laminae; surface marked with prominent, conical or elongated monticules, y2 line to a line high, and from one to two lines apart; entire surface covered with closely set papillae, gen- erally with small, circular openings at the apex; varying in size from one to two inches square. (The Paleontologist, No. 3, Jan. 15, 1879, p. 18.) Locality.— Cincinnati, Lebanon, Blanchester, etc., O. Remarks.— Resembles the preceding, (lichenoides), in being parasitic, but differs in its prominent monticules, and the presence of papillae between them. In this respect it re- sembles the species that follows, but that one is without any monticules. 5.— S. PAPIIXATA, U. P. James, 1878. Coenosteum a thin crust on corals, shells, etc.; outer surface with small, closely set, prominent papillae or tubercles, giving a granular appearance; papillae with or without circular openings at the apices; 6 to 8 papillae in one line, the inter- spaces non-poriferous. (The Paleontologist, No. 1, July 7, 1878, p. 1.) Locality.— Cincinnati, Lebanon, Blanchester, etc., Ohio. Remarks.— As noted in the remarks on the previous species, this one differs mainly in having no monticules. 1 6.— S. i/UDiYowENSiS, U. P. James , 1884. Coenosteum varying in outline and in size; 4 )4 by 3 inches, and 2^2 inches thick; sometimes parasitic, and then varying from TV to f\ of an inch thick; laminae irregular, undulating, from 4 to 6 in TV of an inch, including interspaces; transverse sections show numerous circular or oval oscula (?) irregularly 92 Cincinnati Society of Natural History. distributed; surface irregular and rough, showing numerous minute pores and a greater or less number of oscula. (Jour. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 7, 1884, p. 140.) Locality.— L,udlow, Ky., etc. Remarks.— This species occurs under both a parasitic and a free form. The presence of small pores and larger oscula at the surface, will serve to distinguish it from the others described. 7.—S. HINDKI, Nicholson, 1874. There is a specimen of the present genus in the collection of the U. S. National Museum without a name which has many of the characters of ,S. hindei. It is massive, and only a fragment of a large specimen. The polished section does not show the large oscula said to be one of the characters of 6". hindei. The laminae are very sinuous, and close together, averaging about five to a line. A portion of the outer surface, which is still preserved, shows rounded monticules, not very prominent. A condensation of the original description of Dr. Nicholson is given below to serve for identifying the species, should it actually occur in the Cincinnati Group. Fossil forming- thin crusts, or hemispheric masses, com- posed of concentrically disposed strata, each made up of cal- careous laminae separated by interspaces; laminae sometimes connected by transverse pillars, but more commonly bent and curved so as in inosculate, thus giving the whole a vesicular appearance; about 8 laminae in one line ; upper surface shows linear openings, and also large rounded or oval canals from a line to a line and one-half in diameter. (Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 4th ser., vol. 13, 1874, p. 12.) Locality.— Richmond, Ind. Remarks.— 5". hindei is stated by Nicholson to be from the Niagara group, and it is, of course, possible that the form under consideration is not that species. 8.— S. INDIANIENSIS, n. Sp. There is a second specimen of Stromatopora in the U. S. National Museum, also without a name. This is a massive species, about 8 inches long, 6 inches wide and 5 inches high. The monticules are very numerous and quite large and promi- Paleontology of the Cincinnati Group. 93 nent. The internal structure can not be ascertained, because of the presence of calcite in a crystallized form, but at one point the characteristic layers of Stromatopora can be observed. For this specimen the name S. indianiensis is proposed, inas- much as it seems to be undescribed. In its prominent monti- cules it bears considerable resemblance to 6*. tuberculata, Nicholson, but that species is parasitic, while the present one is massive. Locality.— Near Connersville, Indiana, in the upper layers of the Cincinnati Group, associated with Bcatrica nodulosa and Bellerophon bilobatus. Collected by A.