Dr. Henry Woodward — On Pleurotoma prisca. 409 



The discovery of these Lower Tertiary mammals is of considerable 

 importance, not merely on account of the interest of the specimens 

 hitherto collected, but as showing that much may be expected from 

 further investigation of the Tertiary deposits of the Libyan Desert. 

 At present I am acquainted with (probably) Upper Eocene, Lower 

 Oligocene, Lower Miocene, and Lower Pliocene mammal-bearing 

 beds ; and in several localities, during journeys across the desert, 

 fragments of teeth and bones were observed when it was impossible 

 to stay to make any search after more complete specimens, which 

 must no doubt be obtainable. Another point of importance is that 

 the fauna now described diflfers entirely from that found in deposits 

 of the same age in Europe, and points to the existence of a large 

 land area to the south which had long been isolated. The few 

 species so far obtained can only represent a very small fraction of 

 those which existed, and when found will throw great light on many 

 obscure questions of geographical distribution. One long-standing 

 problem, viz. the place of origin of the Proboscidea, may perhaps 

 be regarded as solved already. 



IIL — Note on the Discovery of a very fine Example of 

 Pleurotoma prisca, Solander, sp. (1766), at Barton, Hants. 



By Henry Woodward, LL.D., F.R.S., V.P.Z.S., F.G.S. 



IN one of his recent visits to the Natural History Museum, Major 

 C. E. Beadnell kindly showed me a fine example of the well- 

 known shell Pleurotoma prisca, which had been obtained some years 

 ago by his son, Mr, Hugh J. L. Beadnell, F.G.S. (now of the 

 Geological Survey of Egypt), when collecting specimens from the 

 Barton Clay (Middle Eocene) in the historical cliffs at Barton, 

 Hampshire, whence, prior to 1766, Gustavus Brander, F.R.S., made 

 his famous collection, some of the specimens of which are still 

 preserved in the British Museum (Natural History).' 



On comparing this shell with the figures in F. E. Edwards' & 

 S. V. Wood's "Eocene MoUusca " (Pal. Soc. Mon.), tab. xxxiii, 

 figs, la-e, I was surprised to find Mr. Beatlnell's specimen greatly 

 exceeded the figured examples in altitude of the spire, as well as in 

 diameter, I therefore requested Major Beadnell to allow me to 

 figure it, to which he at once most obligingly consented. 



The following is a transcript of Edwards' & Searles Wood's 

 description of Pleurotoma prisca,- Solander, sp. (1766). 



" Shell elongated, fusiform, nearly smooth ; the spire almost 

 conical, pointed and moderately elevated, being of equal length with 

 the aperture. The whorls are slightly ventricose ; when young, the 

 whole surface is covered with moderately distant, concentric, raised 

 lines, in which state it resembles PI. filosa, Lamk. ; these lines, 

 however, are lost on the fourth or fifth volution, and the whorls 

 afterwards become smooth and shining, except at the base and over 



' Figured and described by Dr. Solander in a work entitled " Fossilia Hantoniensia 

 Collecta, et in Museo Britannico deposita, a Gustavo Brander, 1766." 



2 Marex prisca, Brander's Foss. Hant., 1766, p. 16, pi. i, fig. 25 ; pi. iii, fig. 44. 



