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THE FOSSIL MARGINELLID^ OF AUSTRALASIA. 



By Prof. R. Tate, Assoc. Lin. Soc; F.G.S., London, &c; Cor. 

 Mem. Acad. Sc, Phil.; Roy. Soc, Tasmania, &c. 



[Read June 14, 1878.] 



The family is not known in rocks of older date than the Eocene. 

 The number of fossil species given for each genus in Woodward's Mol- 

 lusca, 1866, is: Marginella and Hyalina, 30; Volvaria, 5; Erato, 2. 

 Doubtlessly some additions have been made since that date, and the list 

 is now increased by the 18 species from the Australasian Tertiaries 

 which are enumerated in this paper. The large proportion that these 

 bear to the known fossil forms justifies the assertion made in the last 

 paper that the Australian area was the chief centre of habitation of the 

 family in the Tertiary period. 



DESCRIPTION OF SPECIES— GENUS MARGINELLA. 



I. Outer lip smooth. 



(1) Columella quadriplicate. 



1. — Marginella Alding^e (new species). 



Shell very small, somewhat fusiformly ovate, shining ; spire, 

 short, obtuse ; whorls 4|, nuclear whorls rounded smooth, the 

 anterior two angulated, ornamented with nodulose plications at the angle 

 and strong strise ; there are about twelve plications on the last whorl, 

 which are evanescent towards the front and the suture; aperture narrow, 

 sigmoid ; outer lip much thickened and reflected, and deeply channelled 

 above, without denticulations ; columella quadriplicate. Dimensions — 

 Length, 0-125 ; breadth, 0-1. 



Very different from any living form, but recalls the West African 

 harpseform Marginellee, all of which are more fusiformly ovate. 



