In visiting the quarries of the State, certain quadripartite objects suggesting the form of jelly fishes have long attracted the writer\u27s attention. They are large and coarse, and were assumed to be imitative concretions. However, the total number observed seems to strengthen the probability that they are of organic origin. In the fall of 1913, while conducting a field class through the Burlington Quarries, located about two miles northwest of South Bend, they were noted again in a new locality, and three specimens were obtained. Two of these were unusual examples, and showed sufficient structure to identify them with the Medusae

Barbour, Erwin H.

English

DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska

University of Nebraska - LincolnDigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - LincolnConservation and Survey Division Natural Resources, School of1914NOTICE OF JELLY FISHES IN THECARBONIFEROUS OF NEBRASKA,MEDUSINA WALCOTTIErwin H. BarbourFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/conservationsurveyPart of the Geology Commons, Geomorphology Commons, Hydrology Commons,Paleontology Commons, Sedimentology Commons, Soil Science Commons, and the StratigraphyCommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Natural Resources, School of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Ithas been accepted for inclusion in Conservation and Survey Division by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska -Lincoln.35 NEBRASKA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ERWIN HINCKLEY BARBOUR, State Geologist VOLUME 4 PART 13 NOTICE OF JELLY FISHES IN THE CARBONIFEROUS OF NEBRASKA, MEDUSINA W ALCOTTI BY ERWIN H. BARBOUR GEOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS OF HON. CHARLES H. MORRILL 195 B NOTICE OF JELLY FISHES IN THE CARBONIFEROUS OF NEBRASKA MEDUSINA WALCOTT!, SP. NOV. llY ERWIN HINCKLEY llARllOUR In visiting the quarries of the State, certain quadripartite objects suggesting the form of jelly fishes have long attracted the writer's attention. They are large and coarse, and were assumed to be imitative concretions. However, the total number observed seems to strengthen the probability that they are of organic origin. In the fall of 1913, while conducting a field class through the Burlington Quarries, located about two miles northwest of South Bend, they were noted again in a new locality, and three specimens were obtained. Two of these were unusual examples, and showed sufficient structure to identify them with the Medusae. Dr. Charles D. \Valcott, to whom a specimen was submitted, concurs in the belief that these are jelly fishes and not concretions. To those living upon the coast, jelly fishes are familiar objects, but to those living far inland, they are not, ancl it may be well to explain in a sentence or t\\·o that they are soft-bodied, more or less transparent, free-swimming, marine animals common to the coast. They are variously described as being bell-like, umbrella-like, cup-like, dome-like, and disk-like. As they float or swim in the water, sometimes. in immense numbers, they Fig. 1.-Sketch of a simplified jelly fish: u, umbrella; m, manubrium with four mouth lobes; t, tentacles or feelers. 208 NEBRASKA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY suggest animated bubbles. The comparison seems the more fitting because ordinarily, there is so little substance in their bodies. By vigorous contractions and pulsations of the swimming-bell, the creature is propelled. The upper or convex side is called the umbrella, and the under or concave side is called the sub-umbrella. The clapper, tech-nically known as the manubrium, hangs from the center of the bell. The mouth, situated at the lower end of the clapper, is nsually four-lobed, and opens into the stomach or digestive pouch, which commonly branches into four radiating canals. The rim of the bell may be plain, or it may be variously lobed and ornamented, and set with tentacles or feelers. The sensory organs, tactile, auditory, and visual, are rudi-mentary and primiti,·c. :\forphologically, jelly fishes (Medusae) may be viewed as polyps having free-swimming adaptations. In size they vary from three or four inches to seven feet in diameter. Since jelly fishes are composed so largely of water, in some species as much as 99 per cent, or more strictly speaking excessively watery gelatin, the wonder is that even traces of such delicate and perishable organisms are to be found. That they are found at all is clue to the toughness of their nlmy skins. Some of the larger and coarser jelly. Fig. 2.-An imaginary sketch of Medusina walcotti swimming in the ocea(IJ which prevailed in Nebraska during Carbonife.rous times. .'IEDRASKA r.EOLOGl CAL SURVEY a b MEDUSINA WALCOTT!, Sl'. NOV. a, apical view; b, oral view showing mouth-cross. One-half natural size. 1\'EllRASKA GEOLOGICAL SUHVEY VOLUME 4, PART 13, PLATE 2 a b 1\fEilUSJNA WALCOTT! SOM EWHAT DISTORTED a, apical view; b, oral view showing mouth-cross. One-half natural size. CARBONIFEROUS JELLY FISHES 209 fishes are even cartilaginous. Under especially favoring conditions, impressions of jelly fishes are left in fine sands and muds. In this connection, it may be of interest to note that the United States Geological Survey boasts of nine thousand specimens of fossil jelly fishes in its cbllection. Jelly fishes are reported from the Cam-brian, Jurassic, Permian and Cretaceous, their period of greatest abund-ance being the Ctetaceous. We recall no reports of fossil Medusae from the Carboniferous outside of Nebraska. Those found in our State are in Upper Pennsylvanian strata. According to Mr. W. W. Stoner, mechanical engineer in charge of the Burlington Quarries, these jelly fishes occur in considerable num-bers. However, in our hurried visit, but three specimens were secured. Two of these are shown in plates 1 and 2. They are of good size, about 7 to 8 inches across ( 180 to 205 mm.). The convexity is 3 inches (77 mm.). The oral lobes must have been large and are indi-cated by the distinct radiating angles of the mouth, aptly called tht mouth-cross. The mouth-cross is distinctly shown in each of the speci· mens from the Burlington Quarry. Traces of the more delicate struc· tures are wanting, yet it is not unlikely that some of them may be determined when a large number of specimens is at hand. The difference in geological horizon, and the distance from regions prodncti\·e of fossil Medusae, seem to justify describing these jelly fishes as new. Arrangements have been made for the careful preservation of all specimens exposed in quarry operations at this place, and it is hoped that additional data may be secured. The University of Nebraska, May, 1914. Distributed July 25, 1914. 

NOTICE OF JELLY FISHES IN THE CARBONIFEROUS
OF NEBRASKA,
MEDUSINA WALCOTTI

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University of Nebraska - Lincoln
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Conservation and Survey Division Natural Resources, School of
1914
NOTICE OF JELLY FISHES IN THE
CARBONIFEROUS OF NEBRASKA,
MEDUSINA WALCOTTI
Erwin H. Barbour
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Part of the Geology Commons, Geomorphology Commons, Hydrology Commons,
Paleontology Commons, Sedimentology Commons, Soil Science Commons, and the Stratigraphy
Commons
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Natural Resources, School of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It
has been accepted for inclusion in Conservation and Survey Division by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska -
Lincoln.
35 
NEBRASKA 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 
ERWIN HINCKLEY BARBOUR, State Geologist 
VOLUME 4 
PART 13 
NOTICE OF JELLY FISHES IN THE CARBONIFEROUS 
OF NEBRASKA, 
MEDUSINA W ALCOTTI 
BY 
ERWIN H. BARBOUR 
GEOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS OF HON. CHARLES H. MORRILL 
195 B 
NOTICE OF JELLY FISHES IN THE CARBONIFEROUS OF 
NEBRASKA 
MEDUSINA WALCOTT!, SP. NOV. 
llY ERWIN HINCKLEY llARllOUR 
In visiting the quarries of the State, certain quadripartite objects 
suggesting the form of jelly fishes have long attracted the writer's 
attention. They are large and coarse, and were assumed to be imitative 
concretions. However, the total number observed seems to strengthen 
the probability that they are of organic origin. In the fall of 1913, 
while conducting a field class through the Burlington Quarries, located 
about two miles northwest of South Bend, they were noted again in a 
new locality, and three specimens were obtained. Two of these were 
unusual examples, and showed sufficient structure to identify them 
with the Medusae. 
Dr. Charles D. \Valcott, to whom a specimen was submitted, concurs 
in the belief that these are jelly fishes and not concretions. To those 
living upon the coast, jelly fishes are familiar objects, but to those living 
far inland, they are not, ancl it may be well to explain in a sentence or 
t\\·o that they are soft-bodied, more or less transparent, free-swimming, 
marine animals common to the coast. They are variously described 
as being bell-like, umbrella-like, cup-like, dome-like, and disk-like. As 
they float or swim in the water, sometimes. in immense numbers, they 
Fig. 1.-Sketch of a simplified jelly fish: u, umbrella; m, manubrium with 
four mouth lobes; t, tentacles or feelers. 
208 NEBRASKA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 
suggest animated bubbles. The comparison seems the more fitting 
because ordinarily, there is so little substance in their bodies. By 
vigorous contractions and pulsations of the swimming-bell, the creature 
is propelled. The upper or convex side is called the umbrella, and the 
under or concave side is called the sub-umbrella. The clapper, tech-
nically known as the manubrium, hangs from the center of the bell. 
The mouth, situated at the lower end of the clapper, is nsually four-
lobed, and opens into the stomach or digestive pouch, which commonly 
branches into four radiating canals. The rim of the bell may be plain, 
or it may be variously lobed and ornamented, and set with tentacles or 
feelers. The sensory organs, tactile, auditory, and visual, are rudi-
mentary and primiti,·c. :\forphologically, jelly fishes (Medusae) may 
be viewed as polyps having free-swimming adaptations. In size they 
vary from three or four inches to seven feet in diameter. 
Since jelly fishes are composed so largely of water, in some species 
as much as 99 per cent, or more strictly speaking excessively watery 
gelatin, the wonder is that even traces of such delicate and perishable 
organisms are to be found. That they are found at all is clue to the 
toughness of their nlmy skins. Some of the larger and coarser jelly. 
Fig. 2.-An imaginary sketch of Medusina walcotti swimming in the ocea(IJ 
which prevailed in Nebraska during Carbonife.rous times. 
.'IEDRASKA r.EOLOGl CAL SURVEY 
a 
b 
MEDUSINA WALCOTT!, Sl'. NOV. 
a, apical view; b, oral view showing mouth-cross. 
One-half natural size. 

1\'EllRASKA GEOLOGICAL SUHVEY VOLUME 4, PART 13, PLATE 2 
a 
b 
1\fEilUSJNA WALCOTT! SOM EWHAT DISTORTED 
a, apical view; b, oral view showing mouth-cross. 
One-half natural size. 

CARBONIFEROUS JELLY FISHES 209 
fishes are even cartilaginous. Under especially favoring conditions, 
impressions of jelly fishes are left in fine sands and muds. 
In this connection, it may be of interest to note that the United 
States Geological Survey boasts of nine thousand specimens of fossil 
jelly fishes in its cbllection. Jelly fishes are reported from the Cam-
brian, Jurassic, Permian and Cretaceous, their period of greatest abund-
ance being the Ctetaceous. We recall no reports of fossil Medusae 
from the Carboniferous outside of Nebraska. Those found in our 
State are in Upper Pennsylvanian strata. 
According to Mr. W. W. Stoner, mechanical engineer in charge of 
the Burlington Quarries, these jelly fishes occur in considerable num-
bers. However, in our hurried visit, but three specimens were secured. 
Two of these are shown in plates 1 and 2. They are of good size, 
about 7 to 8 inches across ( 180 to 205 mm.). The convexity is 3 
inches (77 mm.). The oral lobes must have been large and are indi-
cated by the distinct radiating angles of the mouth, aptly called tht 
mouth-cross. The mouth-cross is distinctly shown in each of the speci· 
mens from the Burlington Quarry. Traces of the more delicate struc· 
tures are wanting, yet it is not unlikely that some of them may be 
determined when a large number of specimens is at hand. 
The difference in geological horizon, and the distance from regions 
prodncti\·e of fossil Medusae, seem to justify describing these jelly 
fishes as new. 
Arrangements have been made for the careful preservation of all 
specimens exposed in quarry operations at this place, and it is hoped 
that additional data may be secured. 
The University of Nebraska, 
May, 1914. Distributed July 25, 1914. 


Barbour, E. H.

University of Nebraska - LincolnDigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - LincolnConservation and Survey Division Natural Resources, School of1914Notice of Jelly Fishes in the Carboniferous ofNebraska, "Medusina Walcotti"E. H. BarbourNebraska Geological SurveyFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/conservationsurveyPart of the Geology Commons, Geomorphology Commons, Hydrology Commons,Paleontology Commons, Sedimentology Commons, Soil Science Commons, and the StratigraphyCommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Natural Resources, School of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Ithas been accepted for inclusion in Conservation and Survey Division by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska -Lincoln.Barbour, E. H., "Notice of Jelly Fishes in the Carboniferous of Nebraska, "Medusina Walcotti"" (1914). Conservation and SurveyDivision. 223.https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/conservationsurvey/223

Notice of Jelly Fishes in the Carboniferous of Nebraska,  Medusina Walcotti

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NOTICE OF JELLY FISHES IN THE CARBONIFEROUS OF NEBRASKA, MEDUSINA WALCOTTI

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