508 EEV. G. E. WHXDBOKNE ON SOME FOSSILS 



There is a fine specimen in the British Museum, from the Green 

 Bed of Little Casterton, Northamptonshire, which is probably a 

 variety of Sowerby's species. It is more convex than the generality 

 of the Coral-Rag examples, its posterior wing is smaller and more 

 defined, and its inferior margin somewhat straighter ; so that it 

 agrees rather better with the example figured by Goldfuss. The 

 lineations become obsolete in the median portion of the valve. 



Lima. Lycettii, Laube ? 



1853. Lima punctata, Mor. & Lye. Gt. Ool. Moll. pt. 2, 1. 15. fig. 9.. 



1867. L. Lycettii, Laube, Bivalven von Balin, t. 1. fig. 12. 



Some fine Limes occur in the Freestone of the MurcJiisoni-zcme 

 at Leckhampton. They are roundish convex shells, crowded with 

 fine, multitudinous, and occasionally divaricating, smooth rays, 

 divided by linear furrows containing coarse punctations, which 

 sometimes become obsolete near the centre. The umbo is round 

 and prominent, and the posterior ear is rayed and larger than the 

 anterior one, which is half submerged in the lunule. The ornamen- 

 tation is most distinct in the oldest shells. 



Five specimens are in the Jermyn-Street Museum. I have one 

 nearly 5 inches wide, and probably they reach a still larger size. 



These shells have been generally referred to Lima punctata, Sow. 

 Min. Conch, t. 113. figs. 1 & 2, but there can be no doubt that thej^ 

 do not belong to this Lower Liassic form *. The rays are fewer, 

 narrower, and do not divaricate. Moreover, he describes the shell 

 as flatter, with nearly equal ears, and markings vanishing with age. 

 On examining his figured specimens in the British Museum it is at 

 once clear that it is a totally different shell ; in fact his fossils 

 seem to belong to two if not three species, — the largest almost 

 smooth with lines of puncta, agreeing with Goldfuss's figure ; the 

 second with narrow ribs and striated furrows ; and the last with 

 shallow, smooth grooves. But however this may be, they are all 

 very flat shells, and have no characters in common with the present 

 species. 



No doubt Morris and Lycett's shell belongs to this form ; but it is 

 by no means certain that Laube's does, as in his figure the con- 

 centric markings cross not only the furrows but the rays. 



This Oolitic species is characterized by its numerous, smooth, and 

 often divaricating rays, punctated grooves, and rounded shape. 



Lima majestica, n. sp. Plate XVII. figs. 6, 6 a, 6 b. 



Shell very large, oblique, the shape of a semiellipse cut off by its 

 shorter diameter, moderately convex, the deepest part being on the 

 lima-line one third of its length from the umbo. Umbo very acute, 

 narrow, moderately prominent, and truncated anteriorly. Lima- 



* The numbers of Sowerby's plates 113 & 114 are accidentally interchanged. 

 Hence his figure of L. rigida is made to represent L. "punctata. Joined to that 

 description it may easily be interpreted as Morris and Lycett's shell, from which 

 fe'owerby's two species are really quite distinct ; aud this is probably the reason it 

 has been misunderstood. 



