BRITISH FOSSILS. 11 



hand, he is inclined to admit Belemnoteuthis as a distinct genus of the 

 last-named family. 



Mr. S. P. Woodward (Manual of the Mollusca, 1851) states that 

 the " Pen " of the Belemnites is " represented by the nacreous bands on 

 " the dorsal side of the phragmocone, and produced beyond its rim in 

 " the form of sword-shaped processes (PI. II., fig. 5)." From this 

 description and the reference to the figure of Belemnites Puzosianus 

 from the Oxford clay ( = B. attcnuatus, Mantell), it is clear that Mr. 

 Woodward conceives that the pro-ostraca of Belemnites, in general, 

 are constructed upon the type of that of B. Puzosianus. 



Mr. Woodward identifies Belemnosepia with Geoteuthis, and therefore 

 refers Buckland's specimens to the Teuthidte and not to the Belemnitidte. 

 In his Supplement, published in 1 856, the same author writes (p. 449), 



" Belcmnites.-*-Professor Buckman of Cirencester possesses a phrag- 

 mocone from the Lias, containing the fossil ink-bag." 



Professor Owen (Palaeontology, 2nd ed., 1861, pp. Ill, 112), in speak- 

 ing of the remains of " Calamaries (Teuthidae)," states that "the most 

 " common form of the gladius has the shaft wide and longer than the 

 " wings ; it has a nacreous lining, and is usually accompanied by a large 

 " and well preserved ink-bag (Geoteuthis, fig. 34, 4). These were called 

 " Belemnosepia by Agassiz and Buckland, who supposed them to belong 

 " to the same animal with the Belemnite." 



But I am not aware that any one has yet observed a calamary's 

 " gladius,' with a nacreous lining ; and we have seen that Buckland 

 entertained no such opinion as that here ascribed to him. 



Belemnoteuthis is identified with Miinsters Acanthoteuthis . Of the 

 Belemnites, Professor Owen, adopting Dr. Mantell's results, says, " The 

 " last chamber is rarely preserved, and appears to have thinned off" into 

 ct a mere horny sheath with, sometimes, two pearly bands like knife- 

 " blades on the dorsal side. It must have been sufficiently capacious 

 " to contain all the viscera. The ink-bag has been very rarely found, 

 " and is even smaller than in the last genus, as if in relation to the 

 " more greatly developed shell." 



From the preceding survey of the literature of the subject it appeal's 

 that very diverse opinions obtain respecting the nature and character 

 of the pro-ostracum in Bclemnitidte. 



1. According to Dr. Buckland this part is a corneous, or shelly, 

 and more or less completely nacreous, extension forwards of the lip of 

 the phragmocone. 



2. According to Agassiz it is a " pen " identical with that of the 

 so-called Loligo Bollensis, &c. 



3. According to Voltz, it is a pen analogous to that of Loligo 

 Bollensis. 



4. According to Mantell and Quenstedt, it is a broad dorsal plate, 

 more or less corneous in the middle, and with two strong calcified 

 asymptotic bands. 



Furthermore, as to the existence of specimens proving that the 

 Belemnite was provided with an ink-bag ; some, like Buckland and 

 Woodward, affirm the fact as a matter of direct observation ; others 

 support the conclusion that the ink-bag existed in Belemnites, by the 

 analogy of Belemnoteuthis ; while yet others, denying Belemnoteuthis, 

 or Buckland's Liable specimens, to belong to the Belcmnitidte, doubt the 

 existence of any direct, or conclusive indirect, evidence of the existence 

 of this organ in the Belcninittda. 



