130 Annals of the South African Museum. 



> 



absence of a shallow pallial indentation, it must be admitted, is incon- 

 clusive in the material I have examined, but this, after all, is a com- 

 paratively minor point, and one of less importance than the nature 

 of the hinge. A fact to be noted is that shells which exhibit a 

 similarly developed hinge are chiefly characteristic of Cretaceous 

 rocks in other regions. 



Stoliczka* thought that Astarte herzogi belonged to Speyer's 

 genus Grotriania,^ but in reality it is widely enough removed from 

 this, which has a very different form and is characterised by a very 

 large and profoundly excavated lunule and escutcheon, and by the 

 absence of lateral teeth. Much closer agreement is shown to the 

 shells known as Eriphyla lenticularis (Goldfuss) J and other forms 

 to which the name Eriphyla has been applied. Unfortunately, the 

 employment of this name has been attended with some confusion. 

 The shell upon which Gabb founded the name (E. umbonata 

 Gabb) occurs in the Shasta-Chico Series of California, || and it 

 was thought to be allied to Astarte. The characters of the shell 

 were unfortunately not diagnosed with satisfactory precision, 

 and Stoliczka 11 first stated in full detail the distinguishing 

 features of Cretaceous shells (E. lenticularis) which he believed 

 to be generically identical with Eriphyla umbonata Gabb. 

 Stoliczka, however, brought the genus into relationship with 

 Dosinia, though be adduced no convincing reason for such a view, 

 except the presence of a pallial sinus. His description of the 

 hinge characters shows that they agree with those of Astarte herzogi, 

 but he mentioned the pallial sinus as a leading feature of his shells, 

 and made no reference to any crenulation of the margin. He says : 

 " It appears probable that some of the Jurassic Astarte (A. excavata 

 and others) belong to this genus, but a careful examination of the 

 hinge and of the pallial line, which is broad though very faint, and 

 also of its sinus, will be necessary." Again, he remarks: "The 

 hinge-teeth of Eriphyla closely approach those of Astarte, but these 

 have no distinct lateral teeth, nor a deep lunule or sinus." 



Whether Stoliczka did right in ascribing the widely distributed 

 E. lenticularis to Gabb's imperfectly characterised genus is a 

 question which still remains unanswered. He, at any rate, used the 

 name in connection with definite and precise diagnostic characters, 

 and his reading has been accepted by Holzapfel,** who maintains 



* Stoliczka (2), p. 286 (1871). t Speyer (1), p. 496, Taf. xi., fig. 6. 



{ Goldfuss (1), Band ii., p. 228, Tab. cxlvi., fig. 16 (1837). 

 Gabb (1), p. 180, pi. 24, fig. 162. || See Diller and Stanton (1). 

 IT Stoliczka (2), p. 156 (1870). ** Holzapfel (1), p. 196. 



