119 



A REVISION OF THE BRITISH EOCExVE CEPHALOPODA. 

 By R. BuLLEN Xe^^ton, F.G.S., and Geo. F. Haheis, F.G.S. 



Read March 9tk, 1894. 

 PLATE X. 



The first attempt to systematically describe the British Eocene 

 Cephalopoda was by Mr. F. E. Edwards/ who also figured every 

 species known at that time. Since then additional material has been 

 collected and some new species described. Moreover, our knowledge 

 concerning the Cephalopoda has considerably increased ; and it seems 

 to us that the time has arrived when a revision of the whole is highly 

 desirable. Our present contribution to the subject principally consists, 

 besides briefly tliagnosing all genera and species, in recognising the 

 triie position of the remains hitherto referred to Edwards' genus 

 Belemnosis, for years an enigma to palaeontologists ; in defining the 

 type of the genus Hercoglossa, Conrad ; and in describing a better 

 .preserved specimen of Hercoglossa Cassiniana, Foord and Crick, than 

 any hitherto known, and one which throws much additional light 

 on the essential characters of that interesting species. Our observa- 

 tions are based almost entirely on specimens in the British Museum 

 (Natural Histoiy), which is extremely rich in English Tertiary 

 Cephalopoda. It is probable that an examination of other collections 

 would have enabled us to give a few additional localities for certain 

 species, but our aim has rather been directed to a revision of the 

 Imown fonns than to a consideration of their geographical distribution. 

 The authors wish to express their obligations to Mr. G. C. 

 Crick, F.G.S. , for many useful suggestions made to them during 

 the preparation of this paper, and to Mr. F. A. Bather, M.A., for his 

 suggestion respecting the possible relationship existing between Belem- 

 nosis and Spiruli rostra. 



Class CEPHALOPODA. 



Order D IBR ANCHI AT A. 



Family BELOSEPIID^. 



Genus BELOSEPIA, Yoltz. 



Mem. Soc. Hist. Xat. Strasbourg, 1830, vol. i. pp. 22, 23. 



Ti/pe. — Beloptera sepioidea, Blainville, Man. Malacologie, 1825, 

 p. 622 ; 1827, Atlas, pi. xi. fig. 7. 



Dorsal surface of the belosepion coarsely granulated, smooth 

 internally, furnished with a solid and more or less acute rostrum, 



' Monogiaph Palseontographical Society, 1849. 



