from Southtrn yi(ioriu. 201 



(Bj .1 Cretaceous Ptieci/j'od from Sout/urn yii/eria. 

 (IM. VI. tigs. 18, 19, 20.) 



Anion;; some small imlL'tenuinable fossils obtained hy 

 ^Ir. Parkinson from certain bore-holes in the Lagos province 

 ot" Southern Nigeria is a fragmentary Pelecypod valve which 

 is of considerable importance, as it implies the presence of 

 Cretaceous rocks in that area. The specimen referred to 

 belongs to the genus Veniella of Stoliczka, better known 

 among African Cretaceous fossils as lioiulaireia of Miuiier- 

 (Jhulmus, the synonymy of which has been recently leviewed 

 by the pr<>sent writer '♦^ in an account of some Cretaceous 

 sliells from Zululand. 



Veniella auresseusis {?), Munier-Chalmas, sp. 



Trii/onia auressetisis, Coquand, Gt5ol. Pal. Constaiitine, ISG"^, pi xii 



tiVs. 10, ll,p. 203. 

 lioudairia drui, Muiiier-Clialuias, Missiou M. le Com. Koudaire ClKjttji 



Tunisiens, 1881, pl3. iv., v. pp. 74-77. 

 Roudaireia miresaensis, Perou, Desc. Invert. Foss. Cretaces Tuniaie 



Kxp'.or. Scient. Tuuisie, 1893, pi. xxix. tigs. 10-12, p. 299. 

 Bondairia drut, Quiias, Fauna obersten Kreidebild. libyschen Wiiste, 



Palaeoutographica, 1902, vol. xxx. part 2, pi. xxiv. figs. 20-22, p. 221. 



The specimen is repre?ented by a small umboiial frac-inent 

 of a left valve, showing the remains of a wide and robust 

 hinge-plate, but without the dentition being preserved, over 

 which curves a subacute umbo with its Jiucleus toucliin"- the 

 upjier margin of the hinge-plate. 



The trigonal character of this genus is well expressed in 

 the specimen, which, moreover, exhibits the prominent 

 oblique carina dividing the anterior from the posterior regions. 



Thick horizontal lidges, curving upwards at their anterior 

 ends, ornament the shell in front, which are widely separated 

 during the progress of development, finer striations occurring 

 within at the earlier stages of growth, otherwise the furrows 

 are smooth ; a well-defined lunul ite area is also present. 



The posterior side is abrupt and furnished with a nearly 

 median ridge, whilst the surface is closely and obliquely 

 ornamented with lines of n)icrosco])ical size; the ventral 

 margin is broken, so that the original Jieight of the specimen 

 is unknown, altliough it prob.ibly represents an examj)le 

 which might have been IM) mm. 



Dimensions (umboiud fragment). -^Length = 7, height = 

 5 mm. 



* Trans. Royal See. South Africa, 1909, \o\ i. pp. 67-09. 



