section. It should be noted with regard to the first of these points that although Tate made no mention of any trace of umbilical marginal tubercles in his specimen, such traces exist in several of the ribs, which are swollen at that part which corresponds with the row of umbilical nodes in the Knysna specimen. While bearing in mind that these forms are so far comparable, it is at the same time not improbable that Tate's Ammonites subanceps should be placed with those species of Hoplites (sensu lato) which Uhligh as united to form the narrower generic group Solgeria.* Great similarity is shown to figures of forms ascribed by Sayn to Hoplites arnoldi (Pict. and Camp.) and by Toucas to Hoplites botella Kilian. These have been considered by Pavlow to be wrongly determined, and to represent one species to which he has given the name Hoplites heteroptychus.§ It was even suggested by Neumayr that Ammonites subanceps might represent the young of Crioceras spinosissimum, and this does not seem excluded as a possibility. While Tate's specimen, which was very imperfectly figured, is certainly to be brought into the closest comparison with Neocomian forms of Hoplites, and not with the Jurassic Reineckia anceps as thought by Tate, only the collection of additional material will show with certainty its true narrow relationships, though I am inclined to think that its nearest allies are to be sought in representatives of Uhlig's genus Solgeria, of which Hoplites heteroptychus Pavlow is an example, rather than in members of the genus Acanthodiscus. GENUS BELEMNITES Lamarck. Two specimens of belemnites are unfortunately only of a frag- 1. The specimen from Brentford is a fragment of a rostrum, and neither the alveolar nor apical end is preserved. It is compressed in the dorso-ventral direction in such manner as to give a broadly ovate outline in cross-section. The greatest transverse diameter is situated at some distance—at least a third of the length of the fragment-away from the alveolar end of the specimen. From this * Uhlig (5), p. 624. Sayn (1), p. 682, pl. xii., fig. 6. Toucas (1), p. 606, pl. xviii., fig. 10. § Pavlow and Lamplugh (1), p. 467 (109 of authors' copy). point the outline tapers very gently, almost imperceptibly, in the alveolar direction, more markedly (though still gradually) in the apical direction. The length of the fragment is 45 mm. At the end towards the alveolus the transverse diameter is 11 mm., the dorsoventral diameter 9.5 mm. At the other end the transverse diameter is 9 mm., the dorso-ventral measurement 8 mm. Situated on the side are two parallel, shallow longitudinal grooves, placed closely to one another. Towards the anterior end of the specimen the surface is becoming split off in the form of thin laminæ. This specimen is evidently the representative of some subfusiform species. The shape of the rostrum, though this is represented by an imperfect fragment, is sufficiently suggestive, and in addition there is the presence of the shallow parallel grooves on the side and the foliaceous character of the surface towards the alveolus. These two latter points, apart from the shape of the guard, at once recall certain Hastati of the European Neocomian, and there can be no doubt concerning the broad relationships of the specimen. The greatest thickness of the guard is, however, nearer to the alveolus than in Belemnites jaculum Phill. (=B. subfusiformis Rasp.), B. pistilliformis Blainv. (=B. pistillirostris Pav.), or B. obtusirostris.* The outline in section is more oval and compressed than in B. jaculum, and although in that species there is some variation with regard to the form of the section, Mr. G. W. Lamplugh informs me that he has never observed quite such a degree of compression as is shown by the Brentford specimen. 2. The specimen from Coega is still less favourably preserved for a satisfactory comparison with known forms, but it also belongs to some subfusiform species, and one which has a rostrum of relatively slender figure. It is a fragment of a guard from which the alveolar and apical ends are missing, and is compressed in manner similar to that shown by the other specimen. It measures 46 mm. in length. The transverse diameter at the thicker end is 8 mm., the dorsoventral diameter 7 mm. The specimen tapers gradually from here towards the thin end, where the greatest diameter is 4 mm. This end is most probably approaching the alveolus, though it shows no sign of a ventral groove. Here also the surface shows no foliaceous character, but the specimen is so unfavourably preserved and so much weathered that these negative characters are not of much significance. It is possible, however, that this thin end of the specimen lies towards the apex, but if this be the case we are dealing with a hastate form remarkable for the slow tapering towards the Pavlow and Lamplugh (1), pp. 77-82. * apex. one. I am inclined to regard the other orientation as the correct These two specimens, although so fragmentary, are of special interest. They furnish one more piece of evidence which serves to dispel the idea that the fauna of the Uitenhage beds lived under geographical conditions which prohibited free intercourse in a northerly direction. It will be remembered that a representative of the Hastati has been recorded from the Neocomian beds of northwest Madagascar. An extension of our knowledge of the belemnitefauna in the Uitenhage deposits becomes very desirable. CLASS CRUSTACEA. GENUS MEYERIA F. M'Coy. MEYERIA SCHWARZI sp. nov. Plate VIII., fig. 22; IX., 4, 4a, 5; X., 4, 4a, 4b. Description. The elongated body shows, in its form, considerable lateral compression, and the carapace, in particular, has strong lateral flattening. The carapace, in lateral aspect, has relatively great height, and the branchiostegites occupy a large area. The cephalic portion of the carapace is best known in its posterior part, since the best-preserved specimens examined have the anterior part broken off. Commencing at the cervical suture and passing forwards there is a sharp and narrow, weakly serrated, median dorsal keel which is prolonged anteriorly into a short, sharply pointed, laterally flattened rostrum, exhibiting a median carination, weakly and finely serrated. Running almost parallel with this median keel and at a very short distance below it there is on either side a more strongly tuberculated or serrated lateral keel; at a rather greater distance below this on either side there is situated a second similar lateral keel, and, with a still greater separating space, below this there is a third lateral keel. The two lowest keels on each side have a more marked upward slope than the first lateral keel when traced forwards from the cervical groove. The surface between the keels is flat or slightly concave, and bears very little or no granular ornamentation. The appendages of the head are unknown. The cervical suture slopes backward rather obliquely in its general course when traced upwards. In relation to the slenderly formed * Newton (1), p. 333. carapace it is deeply impressed. Traced from its anterior termination, for the first few millimetres of its course, immediately under the lowest cephalic keel, it has a very slight upward inclination; it then bends more sharply upwards, and during the rest of its course, towards the median dorsal line of the carapace, it is not markedly sinuous. Immediately behind the cervical suture there is on either side a short raised keel in backward continuation of the lowest lateral cephalic keel; this is only a few millimetres in extent (about 5 mm. in specimens examined), and immediately below it is situated a small oval area, nearly smooth, bearing only one or two isolated granules, and surrounded above and below and behind by a well-impressed linear groove. In the specimens examined this is only about 2 mm. or 3 mm. in length, but is not well defined anteriorly. From this little area the weakly developed branchial furrow passes obliquely backwards, rising gradually, and dies out before reaching the indented portion of the posterior margin of the carapace. This furrow is bounded dorsally by a slightly raised fold of the surface, which arises anteriorly at the short keel which forms the backward continuation of the lowest cephalic keel. The median dorsal carination is a very marked feature, posteriorly to the cervical groove. Commencing at the median carina at a distance from the cervical suture of about one-third of the space between that suture and the posterior margin of the carapace, there is a very faintly marked, shallow linear groove of attenuated sigmoidal form. Meeting the corresponding groove of the opposite side in the median dorsal line so that no appreciable angle is formed by the junction, the groove on each side of the carapace forms a shorter shallow upper curve and a more extensive lower curve. Before terminating below it is for some distance directed anteriorly, and runs obliquely downwards just above the fold of the surface which accompanies the branchial furrow. The lower margin of the thoracic part of the carapace is divisible into a shorter antero-ventral portion, which slopes gently downwards with straight outline when traced backwards, and a longer posterior portion with almost straight outline, which slopes gently upwards and then passes by a broad curve into the posterior border. The posterior border forms in its lower part a broad lobe with convex outline, and is then indented (between the branchial and cardiac regions) in the shape of a narrowly curved bay with broad opening. The margins of the thoracic portion of the carapace are furnished with a smooth, narrow, raised lip, which becomes somewhat broader on the posterior lobed margin of the branchiostegite, where, also, it is accompanied by a smooth, hollowed, shallow runnel of the surface. The branchiostegites are ornamented by numerous granules or minute tubercles distributed evenly over their surface. The raised folds of the surface which are situated just dorsally to the oblique branchial furrows are furnished with a row of somewhat stronger granules, besides a few granules irregularly disposed. The region of the carapace situated between the weak sigmoidal grooves (above described) and the cervical suture is ornamented by numerous granules or minute tubercles similar to those on the branchiostegite. The cardiac region, posteriorly to this, is more nearly smooth, showing only a few isolated, weakly developed granules. The ambulatory appendages of the thoracic region are known only by a few fragments, and those actually associated with carapaces are too imperfect for accurate description. Portions of a long, slender limb occurring isolated in a nodule from the Sunday's River (the specimen is from the South African Museum collection, and bears the number 663 on a white label) may probably belong to this species. It consists of a portion of a segment of the limb, keeled, with some scattered granular ornaments and bearing a short, distally directed, lateral pointed spur, near the articulation with the succeeding (more terminal) segment. The latter is very slender and elongated and bears several longitudinal tuberculated keels. The terga of the first five abdominal segments have a smooth surface and are narrowly and highly arched. The pleura of segments ii.-v. have a flattened or slightly convex form; they are relatively extensive and bear ornaments. The tergum of the first segment is divided across the middle by a well-marked transverse (right and left) groove. The posterior part only of this tergum is prolonged downwards to form a very small pleuron with rounded margin anteriorly, and broadly pointed below. This bears pitted ornamentation and has a transverse carination, the carinal ridge extending forwards from the point of articulation with the tubercular facet of the second segment. The surface of the pleuron below the short carina is set at a slight angle to the part above, and is flattened for movement against the posterior lobe of the branchiostegite. The second abdominal segment is relatively broad (antero-posterior measurement), and has very large pleura which bulge forward just below the tubercular articulating facets, and have very extensive |