FOSSIL FORAMINIFERA FROM THE BURDWOOD BANK 9 



agree closely in shape with the present specimens.^ Cushman's genus Spiroplectoides, 

 with genotype Spiroplecta rosula, Ehrenberg, 1854," was erected, however, for forms 

 whose wall is calcareous and finely perforate, and it is therefore doubtful whether these 

 records really refer to Grzybowski's species. 



Rzehakina epigona (Rzehak) was described from a single specimen^ from a deposit 

 stated to be of " Alttertiar " age. Rzehak's appear to be the only records in the literature 

 of the genus from alleged Tertiary strata. The species is recorded from the Velasco of 

 Mexico* and a variety (var. lata) from the Upper Cretaceous of Trinidad.'' What seems 

 from the figure to be the same genus is described by Grzybowski^ from the Upper 

 Cretaceous of Galicia under the name Spiroloctdina inclusa. 



The paper in which Rzehak describes R. epigona gives no indication of the evidence 

 on which he based the ' ' Alttertiar ' ' age of the strata in which it was found. The question 

 is of importance, since other species, certainly one of which [Pseiidotextiilaria varians) 

 is now well known as an Upper Cretaceous indicator, were described from these beds. 

 The question is earlier discussed at some length by Rzehak himself,^ where he records, 

 unfortunately without figures, and with many nomina niida, 181 species and varieties of 

 Foraminifera, from a number of specimens of strata collected by E. Kittl from the 

 "Alttertiar" in the neighbourhood of Bruderndorf, Lower Austria. Rzehak concludes 

 on balance that " the fauna " is of Tertiary age on the ground of a few poorly preserved 

 orbitoids and a nummulite which he identifies with confidence as Niimmtilites boiicheri, 

 de la Harpe. He discusses the strong Cretaceous elements on pp. 7-9, and states that 

 the fauna appears to be of the same age as the Leitzersdorf bei Stockerau Foraminifera, 

 described by Karrer^ definitely as Upper Cretaceous on the ground of the foraminiferal 

 fauna. Rzehak admits that several of the Bruderndorf species are typical Upper Cre- 

 taceous forms, and that others differ very slightly from Upper Cretaceous species. Such 

 are Bolivina draco, Marsson, Cristellaria rotulata var. macrodisca, Reuss, Marginulina 

 solnta, Reuss, and forms closely allied to Frondicularia reticidata (Reuss), F. interpiinc- 

 tata (Reuss) {sic), F. lanceolata, Reuss, F. angulosa, d'Orbigny, Vaginulina angustissima, 

 Reuss, Cristellaria gosae, Reuss, C. bacillum, Reuss, C. ntida, Reuss. To this list must 

 be added Pseiidotextidaria varians, Rzehak (recorded in this paper under the name 

 Cuneolina elegans), now well known only as an Upper Cretaceous fossil. To-day I think 

 such species would be accepted as definitely dating the beds in which they occurred as 



^ E.g. igz"], Joum. Pal., I, p. 159, pi. xxviii, fig. 6; 1929, op. cit., in, p. 32, pi. iv, fig. 5; 1932, Proc. U.S. 

 Nat. Mus., Lxxx, Art. 14, p. 43, pi. xiii, figs. 5, 6. 



" 1927, Contrib. Cushman Lab. Foram. Research, n, p. 77. 



^ From Zdaunek in Moravia, 1895, Ueber einige merkwiirdige Foraminiferen aus dem osterreichischen 

 Tertiar, Ann. k. k. Nat. Hofmus. Wien, x, p. 214, pi. vi, fig. i. 



* 1927, Cushman, Journ. Pal., i, p. 150, pi. xxiii, fig. 4; 1928, White, Jowni. Pal., n, p. 186, pi. xxvii, 

 fig. 6. 



^ 1928, Cushman and Jarvis, Contrib. Cushman Lab. Foram. Research, iv, p. 93, pi. xiii, figs. 11 a, b; 

 1932, Cushman and Jarvis, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., lxxx. Art. 14, p. 20, pi. vi, figs, i a, b. 

 '' 1901, Rozpr. Ak. Umiej. {Mat.-Prsyrod.) Krakow, ser. 3, I, dz. B, p. 260, pi. vii, fig. 20. 

 ' 1891, Ann. k. k. Nat. Hofmus. Wien, vi, pp. 1-12. 



* i%-]o,Jahrb. k. k. Geol. Reichsanst., xx, pp. 157-84, pis. x, xi. 



