Researches on the Visual Organs of the TrilobitesLindström, Gustaf
Science
Researches on the Visual Organs of the Trilobites
Lindström, Gustaf
Trilobites
_Ch. Quenstedti_ BARR. Tab. 42 fig. 3. Maculæ near lower border as two
narrow slits.
_Ch. spinulosus_ SCHM. pl. VII fig. 10. The lateral pits well visible.
_Ch. tumidus_ SCHM. pl. VIII, fig. 22. The pits are short, but present.
The exterior surface of the hypostoma is entirely covered with small
wartlets, closely set, of different size in the various species,
and spread between them lie a great number of elongate smooth spots
dispersed, on the interior side of the hypostoma showing an excavated
surface (pl. III fig. 16).
=Chirurus (Cyrtometopus) clavifrons= DALM.
Pl. III figs. 17-21.
The shape of the hypostoma is shown in fig. 21 pl. III. It is regularly
shield-formed with posterior margin rounded. A shallow groove running
parallel with the margins forms a large, faintly elevated border. The
anterior margin projects on both sides in a short, backwards directed,
broad and flat wing, hollowed out with a pit on the front side, and
there is a posterior lateral wing, midways between the anterior and
posterior margin short, blunt, directed obliquely backwards. The whole
exterior surface is covered with diminutive tubercles, the above
mentioned smooth spots interspersed on the central disk. A little below
the middle there are two lengthened pits, so shallow that they often
are not discernible. In a specimen of Chirurus spinulosus NIECZKOWSKI
from Estland there are two, almost 3 mm. long dots, one on each side
above the maculæ as the fig. 21 shows and in several others of this
generic group there are also indications of similar. I cannot compare
these dots with anything more than the lengthened spots visible in
Acidaspis crenata.
The maculæ are wanting in this species, but the cephalic eyes are well
developed. A section of them fig. 19 shows the enormous difference of
the shell in the eye and the surroundings where the shell surpasses it
many times in thickness. The eye consists in fact only of the ovate,
beadlike lenses of which a string is seen sectioned in the figure
mentioned. More enlarged (fig. 20) a nucleus is visible in each lens,
and in a horizontal section (fig. 18) a little below the surface, where
they are more pressed against themselves, they have a polygonal shape.
The figure 17 seems to represent lenses that have been much changed
interiorly, having only a narrow zone left of the primary structure.
=Chirurus glaber= ANGELIN.
Pl. III fig. 11.
As a sample of the shape of the surface of the eyes in this genus, we
have given a figure, showing the small rounded lenses.
=Chirurus ornatus= DALMAN.
Pl. III figs. 12-14.
The cephalic eyes have globular lenses, of more than double the size of
those in Chir. clavifrons. The difference between the lenses and the
surrounding shell amounts at the highest to thrice the former, while
in Ch. clavifrons it is at least seven times as much. In a horizontal
section the lenses have a little, darkish irregular nucleus surrounded
by a radiated structure (fig. 12).
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