Meek — On Bellerophon. 119 



Mediterranean (South Coast). 116 species of Invertebrata have been 

 determined, but their examination does not point to any particular 

 horizon in Europe. 72 of the species are also found in Touraine, 

 Aquitaine, Languedoc, Provence, Italy, the Vienna Basin, and Ger- 

 many. Bryozoa are rare. Among the Corals are 5 species of Heli- 

 astrcea, and of the Ehizopods, 2 species of Operculina predominate. 



Seven species of plants (Monocotyledonous Phanerogams) have been 

 determined, whose analogues are already known in the Middle Ter- 

 tiaries of Styria, Croatia, and Switzerland. 



Tertiary Lacustrine Deposits of different ages occur ; the faima of 

 the whole comprise 33 gasteropods and 6 acephala ; forms identical 

 or closely related, are still living in the East. 



Quaternary. — The absence of all vertebrate remains in these 

 deposits renders their precise age uncertain ; they do not however 

 appear to be of very great antiquity. Many microscopic organisms 

 occur, among which are many Naviculee and Pinnula?. All these 

 deposits are believed to be freshwater. 



The above observations are translated from M. D'Archiac's Intro- 

 duction, and we may add that the Palgeozoic Fauna is described by 

 M. De Verneuil, and the Flora by M. Ad. Brongniart : the Secondary 

 and Lower Tertiary Fossils are described by M. D'Archiac ; the 

 Middle Tertiary Fauna by M. Fischer, and the Flora by Dr. linger ; 

 the Upper Tertiary and Quaternary Fossils, by M. Fischer. 



H.B.W. 



II. — Note on the Affinities of the BelleropeoatidjE. By F. 



B. Meek. 

 [Pkoc. Chicago Aca.d. Sciences. Vol. I., 1866.] 



THE family Bellerophontidm (of McCoy) includes a most interesting 

 group of extinct shells, almost, if not entirely confined to the 

 Palgeozoic rocks. If we exclude the little Cretaceous genus Bellero- 

 pliina (the relations of which to this group may be at least regarded 

 as very doubtful), and include Porcellia, the range of the family 

 will be from the Lower Silurian to the Trias. 



Mr. Meek recounts the various opinions in regard to the affinities 

 of this ancient type of MoUusk, entertained by Von Hupsch, 

 Montfort, Defrance, D'Orbigny, McCoy, Deshayes, De Koninck. and 

 others. In 1844:, Prof. De Koninck, who viewed these shells as 

 Gasteropods, placed them in the Scutibranchiate order of the Proso- 

 branchiata — regarding them as Emarginulce, with a greatly extended, 

 and strongly involuted apex. 



In 1864 a new fossil genus, Tremanolus, was described by Prof. 

 Hall, and placed as the type of a sub-genus under Porcellia, but 

 such a striking resemblance does it bear to Bucania, that Mr. 

 Meek is of opinion that it should be placed under that genus ; 

 it only differs from it in the peculiar and interesting character of 

 having along the middle of the dorsal side a row of isolated, 

 oval siphonal openings ; while it differs from Porcellia, not only 

 in that important character, but in the greater thickness of the 



