510 CRETACEOUS PELECYPODA OF SOUTHERN INDIA. 



Thus for instance, Inoc. Cripsianus, Erypli. lenticularis, Bad. tecta, Exog. laci- 

 niata, Gryph. vesicularis, Ost. ungulata, and others are particularly characteristic of 

 the upper cretaceous beds in Europe, and in India they are exclusively found in 

 the Arrialoor beds. On the other hand, Inoe. laMatus, Tola Icbk'is, Exocj. Imlio- 

 toidea and sub-orblcnlata f= coliimhaj , Gryph. vesiculosa, Ostrea dilnciana, and cari- 

 nata characterize the middle cretaceous beds, chiefly the lower series, and they are 

 restricted to the Ootatoor beds in India. Again, there are some, as Card, productum, 

 Protoc. hillanum. Tola quinqiiecoslata, Pholadomya caudata, Amus. membranaceum, 

 and a few others, which in Europe occur in the middle and upper series of creta- 

 ceous deposits, and those species maintain a quite similar vertical distribution in 



India. 



When Prof. E. Eorbes first examined the invertebrate fauna of the South 

 Indian cretaceous deposits he expressed himself in favour of their being of Neoco- 

 mien age, the conclusions being apparently chiefly based upon the general character 

 of the Cephalopoda. My first report in Vol. I of Pal. Indica showed that Eorbes' 

 views were untenable, but that there are to all appearance several species of Cepha- 

 lopoda which are identical with others occurring in the Gault of Europe. Subse- 

 quently after my visit to Europe which was undertaken for the purpose of com- 

 paring Eorbes' originals, and similar fossils in other collections, I reduced* a few 

 of the identifications with Gault species, and I dare say, if sufiicient materials for 

 comparison were accessible, that number could still be lessened. When reporting 

 upon the character of the Gastropod fauna (in Vol. II of Pal. Indica), I noticed 

 only three Gastropoda which liad a remarkably close resemblance to Gault species, 

 but at the same time I pointed out that the character of the Gastropod fauna is 

 decidedly upper and middle cretaceous. 



The examination of the Pelecypoda has entirely confirmed this view, the more 

 so that I have not been able to identify a single species with one from the Gault. 

 There can be at the present, I believe, no doubt entertained against the view, that 

 the cretaceous deposits of India correspond to the middle and upper cretaceous 

 beds of Europe, namely, the Ootatoor and Trichinopoly groups represent d'Orbigny's 

 Cenonmiiien and the lower part of the Ttironien, or Coquand's principal divisions 

 Botomagieii and Carentonien. The parallel is probably stUl better vdth the German 

 'Pljener.' The Ootatoor beds — with Am. Botomayensis and rosfrafics, Inoceramiis 

 labiatus, Exogyra siihorbiculata, Gryph. vesictdosa — evidently represent the lower 

 Plcener ; the Trichinopoly beds, (the fauna of which often does not appear to be very 

 well defined from the previous,) —with Am. perainplus, §'c., may be best identified 

 with the middle Plgener. 



The Arrialoor beds correspond to d'Orbigny's upper part of Ttironien and 

 to the Senonien, or to Coquand's chief divisions Saiitoiiien and Campanien. They 

 are also perfectly equivalent to the upper Pkener of German geologists, charac- 

 terized by Ainm. Gardeni, Inoceramiis Cripsianus^ Exogyra laciniata, Gryph. cesi- 

 cidaris, and many others. 



* Records Gfol'jgical Survey of ludia, Vol. I, p. 32, &c. 



