16 GEOLOGICAL MEMOIKS. 



On some Tektiaey CoEALs/ro^n near Mayence. Bj Prof. E-euss. 



[Proceed. Imp. Acad. Vienna, April 14, 1859.} 



Prof. Reuss, of Prague, described six new species of Anihozoa from 

 the Lower Marine Sand of Weinheim and Waldbockelheim, near 

 Kreutznach, communicated to him by Prof. Fr. Sandberger, of 

 Carlsruhe. These six species are the first from Oligocene strata 

 which have hitherto been exactly described as essentially different 

 from those occurring in Tertiary strata of other localities. Three 

 of them belong to the genus Bathonophyllia {B. granata, B. incequi- 

 clens, and B. fascicularis), represented in the living creation by the 

 species B. verruciaria. The fourth is Cyathina hrevis. The fifth 

 i^Crenocyathus costulatus) is the first known fossil species of this 

 genus, represented by some few recent species. Although allied 

 closely to Cyathina on account of its internal structure, it differs 

 strikingly from it by its ramose polypary. The sixth species, with 

 a laminiform axis, seems to represent a probably new generic type 

 (Plceopsammia) of the order Eupsammidce. [Count M.] 



On the (xeographical Distribution of the Brachiopoda. 

 By E. Suess. 



[Proceed. Imp. Geol. Instit. Vienna, July 7, 1859.] 



About seventy-six species of this class, distributed into fourteen 

 genera, of which two have their representatives among the Palaeozoic 

 Fauna, are at present known to live in the seas of our globe. All 

 the species with corneous shells are littoral, or at least not living in 

 depths beyond 19 fathoms ; while those with solid and opaque shells 

 (with only two or three exceptions) live in greater, and sometimes 

 very considerable depths. The geographical distribution of by far 

 the greater number of existing Brachiopods is essentially sporadic. 

 Of fourteen species of Terehratella, one lives on the coasts of Spitz- 

 bergen, another on those of Labrador, a third in the Sea of Ochotsk, 

 another in the Straits of Magellan, a fifth in the Bay of Algoa, one 

 on the coasts of Java, another on those of Valparaiso, an eighth near 

 the Philippine Islands, two on the coasts of Corea, and the last four 

 on those of New Zealand. Only two genera have fixed geographical 

 centres ; one of them is Morrisia, the three species of which are ex- 

 clusively Mediterranean. The geological age of the sporadic genera 

 is far more remote than that of the geographically confined genera. 

 It may be inferred from this circumstance, that, at former geological 

 periods, the at present sporadic genera had circumscribed geogra- 

 phical ranges, subsequently disturbed by repeated changes in the 

 distribution and mutual connexion of seas and continents, — a sup- 

 position confirmed by the study of the geographical distribution of 

 other animal classes, especially of Insects. [Count M.] 





40 \4kA2 



