CYPRINA (VEXILICARDIA ?) ABEIHENSIS. . 45 



From figure 3 b, which is accurately drawn, the cast would seem to be 

 inequivalve. Careful inspection, however, leads to the conclusion, that a 

 force acting from above has depressed the right beak and pushed it into 

 contact with the left, — the two originally having been somewhat separated 

 in the cast. It is probable that the complete shell — which the deep mus- 

 cular and pallial impressions show to have been thick — was equivalve, and 

 that the beaks were closely approximate, if not actually contiguous. 



This species resembles in some degree the Cretaceous C. intermedia d'Orb., 

 and C. Valungiensis Pict. and Camp., though distinct from both. Possibly it 

 may be identical with Isocardia crenulaia Conrad (Official Eeport, p. 215, 

 PI. iv, fig. 26), described from " casts, all moi-e or less distorted," of which the 

 author furthermore says, " The figure represents the original form as nearly 

 as I could restore it." Neither the description nor the figure applies with 

 any certainty to the specimen here considered. 



Fraas (Aus dem Orient, I. Theil, p. 94) regards laocardia crcnulata Conrad 

 as being Cyprina inornata d'Oi'b. Our cast is certainly distinct from C. in- 

 oniata. Coll. Merrill. 



Locality and Position. — Beirut district ; probably from the zone of the 

 Cardium bed. 



Cyprina (Venilicardia Abeihensis, sp. uov. 



Plate IV, flgs. 3 a. b, c. 



Testa tric/ono-cuncutu, crassiiiscula, incequilateralis, iiimida ; anlice ad marginem 

 hmidarem leviter insinuata et infra hreviter rotimdata: margo dorsi jiosticiis prinmm 

 citrvatus deinde rectilineus et rapide declivis ; extremitas postica subcaudata et oblique 

 tnmcata : margo vaitris arcuaius ct pone vix flexuosiis : wnhones subterminales, angii- 

 lati, acitti, coiitigui, untrorsum vulde injle.ii: lunula fere plana, nisi supra vix exca- 

 vata, verticaliter rotundato-elongtda, marglne acuto circumscripta : area cardinaUs 

 lanceolata, profunda, carinis subacutis termimda ; extra carinas area jjlanuta a lateri- 

 bus angulo obtuso obliquo disjuncta : superfcies conccntrice tenereque striata, striis 

 nonnullis incrementi fortioribus lainellisqiie seu varicibus circiter octo apud nmboncs 

 instructa : cardo, id mihi videtur, dcntibus tribus primariis et certe in valva dex- 

 tra uiio laterali, postico, elongato, recto armatus : iinjiressiones muscidarcs evidentes, 

 hand profunda^ : margo iniernus tenuis, non vero creiiulidus. 



Shell cuneiform-triangular, moderately thick, inequilateral, tumid; in front 

 at the lunular margin lightly sinuate and below abruptly rounded : hinder 

 dorsal margin at first curved, then roetiliueur and rapidly sloping; posterior 



