Page:The Habitat of the Eurypterida.djvu/154

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THE HABITAT OF THE EURYPTERIDA

9. UPPER SILURIC OF PODOLIA AND GALICIA

Along the Dniester and its tributaries in Galicia and Podolia Upper Siluric rocks have been found containing a few fragments of Eurypterus fischeri. This discovery was one of the earliest and was made by Major-Ingenieur Bloede who found a single impression in a piece of shale from an unknown locality in Podolia. Graf Fischer de Waldheim described this form as Eurypterus tetragonophthalmus, communicating his description to the Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscow in 1839 (64). The specific name was given because the eyes were supposed to be of a tetragonal outline, but subsequent study showed that they had the typical margins, and the form was later identified first as E. remipes, then as E. fischeri. Schmidt records finding the eurypterid remains at the base of the Upper Siluric and notes that just as in the occurrences on Oesel so in Podolia the eurypterids and fish remains are found without any other associates. In regard to the occurrence of E. fischeri noted by Barbôt, Malewski, Alth and others, Schmidt makes the following remarks: "In Podolia occurs a species absolutely identical with ours which was formerly identified with E. remipes, and which will probably make possible even further differentiation from the American species. So far as I know there have been but three undoubted specimens found up to this time: (1) the original specimen of Fischer (now in Moscow) from Zwilewcy on the Smotricz, (2) Bloede's specimen (in our Bergakademie Museum) from Balagowa on the Dniester, (according to Barbôt); and (3) that from the Kiew Museum obtained from Dumanow. Malewski also cited Zawalje, Kitaigorod and Studzienica; but I cannot hold these statements as very reliable, since the specimen from Studzienica which is before me, is the horizontal section of a large Cornulites serpularius (Sil. Syst.) which species is well known to me from Oesel (Johannis)" (Schmidt, 245, 13, 14). The Pterygotus fragments which have been reported, Schmidt considers as identical with P. osiliensis (formerly called P. anglicus) from Rootziküll. Schmidt continues: "Of the latter I know practically every single piece, but I have never found a complete individual. Also in the transition beds from limestone to sandstone at Zalesczyki I have found broken pieces of shell, which, however, deserve no particular further examination (245, 13)." In another place, referring to this last mentioned occurrence he makes the following significant statement: "The uppermost beds at Zalesczyki become sandy and red and the fish