308 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol.86 



The classification of Hanzawa has been adopted by Vaughan and 

 Cole (1936) in the description of a number of new species of Oper- 

 cuUnoides from North and Central America and the West Indies, 

 and it is also followed herein. 



I am not yet convinced as to the advisability of splitting up the 

 group into so many genera, as in all cases forms can be found inter- 

 grading from one so-called genus into another. Thus it is often, 

 impossible to state with certainty whether a species should be Oper- 

 culinella or Operculina, Opei^cuUnoides or C amerina^ or even Oper- 

 cuUnoides or Operculina (as in the case of Op€rculin.a tuherculata 

 Vaughan and Cole), thus leaving much to the discrimination and 

 personal opinions of the individual workers. There is also the prob- 

 lem as to whether the law of priority should be followed for Cam- 

 erina, or the custom of accepted usage involving the use of the term 

 NummuUtes, to which many of the older workers still adhere. In 

 the present account Camerina has been used, in accordance with the 

 classifications of Cushman and Galloway, and the question as to 

 whether the various "genera" could be better considered as subgenera 

 of Camerina and Operculina has been deferred. I am of the opinion 

 that Hanzawa (1935) rightly abandoned Hofker's theory that all 

 the genera are synonymous with Camerina^ and until more work has 

 been done on the evolution and phylogeny of the group it seems 

 preferable to adhere to the accepted classification as modified by 

 Hanzawa. 



In addition to the genera mentioned above we have two new genera re- 

 cently erected by Hanzawa (1937), namely Para.spiroclypeus^ referred 

 to the Camerinidae, and PelJatispireUa, included with Pellatlspira in a 

 new family Pellatispiridae. As Hanzawa notes, Pellatispira was in- 

 cluded by Umbgrove and by Galloway in the Camerinidae, though 

 considered by Cushman as showing more affinities with the Calcarin- 

 idae. Hanzawa removes the genera Pellatispira and PeUatispirella 

 from the Camerinidae on structure of the shell wall and peculiarities 

 of the canal system. 



The double nature of the walls, which is well exemplified by Pel- 

 Jatispirella matleyi (Vaughan) and most species of Pellatispira^ is 

 much less marked in PeUatispirella antillea Hanzawa and appears to 

 be a variable character. The principal difference between the canal 

 system in the Camerinidae and the Pellatispiridae appears to be the 

 presence of "vertical canals" in the latter. Thus Hanzawa (1937, 

 p. 114) remarks as follows: "Vertical canals are always found in 

 the genera Calcarina, Rotalia, and Elphidium, especially in their um- 

 bonal regions, but never in Camerina, Assilina, Opercidimi, Heter- 

 ostegina, and Spiroclypeusy 



