194 Mr. R. B. Newton on lossil MolJmca &c. 



According to information received from Nlr. Purkinson, 

 these f'()Psilit"erou3 beds extend for over 50 miles in a direction 

 parallel to the coast. In his descriptioii of the geology of 

 this region (Quart. Journ. Geo). Soc. 1907, vol. Ixiii. pp. 309 

 & ol2) I\lr. Parkinson included the beds in the " Ijebu 

 ISeries," wliicli he placed between some younger deposits 

 without fossils called the " Benin Sands " and the " Lignite 

 tSeiies" with obscure plant-remains, which was regarded as 

 of older age. Above the "Benin Sands" was placed the 

 " Alluvium." 



(Some imperfect impressions of shells obtained from bore- 

 holes and a section in the Ijebu District were referred to in 

 ihe same paper as having been examined by Mr. Henry 

 "Woods, wiio recognized Caidiiim (^), Arca[t), Antartei^^), 

 (iavi {Psammohial!), Meretn'x [?), and a Xalica, These 

 forms were not tiguied, nor was any opinion offered as to 

 their particular facies or their geological horizon *. 



The matrix accompanying one of the specimens under 

 description is a drab-coloured, argillaceous, compact sand, 

 which is easily severed with a knife as well as readily 

 j)ulverizing with friction; it has entirely escaped any oily 

 impiognation, and therefore exhibits the natural character of 

 the deposit. The remaining shells are associated with 

 apparently the same sandy formation, but of a very dark 

 blacklsh-brown colour, caused by the saturations of petro- 

 leum ; many of the specimens are without any testaceous 

 layer, bL'ing simply casts with jet-black lustrous surfaces, 

 wliilst others, possessing thicker shell-structures, present a 

 snow-white appearance, besides being frequently decorticated 

 i.nd of shrrd-like character, after the manner of a-;bestos. 



The IMollusca represented consist mainly of Pelecypoda, 

 with some indeterminable Gastropoda and one Scaphopod. 

 The whole of the forms a|)poar to be of fairly shallow-water 

 habit and accustomed to sandy areas. As the border region 

 ot the province of Lagos consists of an extensive lagoon 



* Some small fossik from these bore-holes, including the Mcretri.v (?) 

 examined by Mr. Wood*, have been forwaraed to the writer bv Mr. Par- 

 luiison. They consist of Peleeypod casts, a frajrmenlary Dentaliuiit {?), 

 &.C., and some obscure tish-t'ra<^nients ; and, althoujrh indeterminable, it 

 is certain that tiiey are in no way connected with the shell fauna found 

 in the bilumen-bearing- beds, appearinj; to be much older — so much so 

 that, with more Uiaterial at command, they could possibly be compared 

 with an I'.ocene fauna from the Kanurun district described in recent 

 Years by Dr. Paul Ojipenheim (' Ueitriige zur Geolo'rie von Kameruu — 

 l)r. Ernst Esch Expedition," 15'04, ]ip. L'40-l^^5, pis. vi.-ix.). But among 

 these fossils is an isolated fiognuutary Pelecyptd vahe bearintr a 

 Cretiiteous facies, which will be presently referred to (see p. -01). 



