18 BULLETIN: MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 
But since you called my attention to the probable Tertiary age of at least a 
part of these deposits, Г have examined the matter more closely. I find that 
your contention that part of these beds is Tertiary (Hocene) is well supported, 
and am fully prepared to accept this view. 
Among the fossils, there are not many that show affinities to our Patagonian 
(Miocene) forms, which is probably due to their older age (Eocene). But 
nevertheless there are a few relations. The following are the most striking. 
Ostrea, distans White, from Pará. This is a characteristic Tertiary type, 
allied to our O. ingens Zitt. 
Gryphaea brachyoptera White, from Pernambuco, resembles G. tarda Hutt, 
from the Patagonian beds. я 
Cardita wilmotti Rathbun, from Pernambuco and Pará, resembles С. inaequalis 
Phil. 
Posinia brasiliensis White, from Sergipe, Pará, and Pernambuco, is very near 
D. magellanica Ortm. from the Magellanian beds of Punta Arenas. 
Trochus retectus White, from Pará, resembles Calliostoma garretti Ortm. 
Fusus pernambucensis White, from Pernambuco, comes near К. subspiralis 
Ortm. from the Magellanian beds of Punta Arenas. 
Jalyptraca fausta White, from Pará, comes near Orucibulum dubium Ortm, 
It is very significant that we have two species (Posinia brasiliensis and 
Fusus pernambucensis which resemble most closely species described by myself 
from the Magellanian beds, which I take for Oligocene. This would furnish 
additional evidence for the old Tertiary age of the Brazilian beds, and, on the 
other hand, for the similar age of the Magellanian beds. 
Yours very truly, А. E. ORTMANN. 
In view of his acquaintance with the Eocene of North America I have 
asked the opinion of Prof. Gilbert. О. Harris of Cornell University re- 
garding the fossils from Maria Farinha and Pirabas, Pará. Dr. Harris 
writes me as follows: “I can assure you most emphatically that neither 
in that work (Dr. White’s report on the Brazilian Mesozoic fossils) nor 
in our specimens (at Cornell University) nor in those I have seen in the 
United States National Museum from Maria Farinha, can I find a trace 
of any fauna other than the Midway Eocene.” 
The relation of color to age. — It has already been stated that Hartt 
regards the party-colored beds of the coast of Brazil as Tertiary, and 
that this long seemed to be a fairly satisfactory method of disposing of 
them.! The fact that these colored beds always seemed to be horizontal, 
while the Cretaceous strata were usually more or less bent, appeared to 
give support to this classification. 
The horizontal bedding of these rocks is sometimes more apparent 
1 Geology and physical geography of Brazil, p. 557. Ann. Rep. Amer. Geog. 
Soc., IIL, p. 231-252, 
