September, 1841.] 81 



"Description of two new species of Fossil Scutella, from 

 South Carolina, by Edmund Ravenel, M. D. 



" Scutella Caroliniana. Specific character : nearly round ; slight- 

 ly convex above ; posterior margin truncated ; ambulacra short, ellip- 

 tical, the two posterior slightly curved and nearly a third longer 

 than the others ; in a line with each there is an oblong perforation 

 extending almost to the margin ; between the two posterior ambu- 

 lacra, there is another perforation, longer than the others, and 

 more central, at the extremity of which, beneath, near the mouth, 

 is the vent. Mouth central ; diameter about six inches. 



Scutella macrophora. Specific character : sub-ovate thick ; 

 margin thick, truncated posteriorily , notched slightly opposite the 

 anterior ambulacrum ; more deeply, opposite the lateral, and still 

 more so opposite to the posterior ambulacra. Ambulacra elliptical ; 

 the posterior pair long, and gracefully curved, so as to give room 

 between them, for a very large irregular perforation, the margin 

 of which is considerably raised, extending to the centre of the 

 shell, giving the upper surface a remarkable elevation. The under 

 surface is flat, rather hollow, particularly near the opening ; mouth 

 anterior to the centre ; anus distant from the mouth one-fourth of 

 the space from the mouth to the posterior margin. 



Diameter of large specimens nearly four inches. 



These fine fossils are found in a calcareous deposite upon my 

 plantation on Cooper River, in St. Thomas's Parish, about 17 miles 

 from Charleston. 



The limestone is granular, and remarkably adapted to the pur- 

 poses of calcareous manure. 



In digging it out and spreading it on the fields, these fossils are 

 found in considerable numbers ; the S. macrophora is particularly 

 abundant and perfect. The S. Caroliniana is also abundant, but 

 from its size, and the number of openings in it, it is very easily 

 broken, and is only obtained in fragments. I have only one perfect 

 specimen and that is not quite 2} inches in diameter. 



In examining these fossils in the light, the surface exhibits 

 bright chrystalline faces ; the material of the shell seems to have 

 become crystallized, since the destruction of the animal matter. 



