﻿256 INFERIOR OOLITE AMMONITES. 



Moorei. It struck me that the words "My Collection," which occur in the 

 explanation of Plate LXXX, figs. 1 — 3, in the ' Monograph of the Lias Ammonites,' 

 might have been written by accident. In answer to my inquiries, Mr. E. T. 

 Newton, F.G.S., of the Museum of Practical Geology, wrote that " we have 

 always been under the impression that the specimen VI- 4 %, figured by Dr. Lycett, 

 was refigured by Dr. Wright ; but on comparing the specimen with the figures I 

 find that, although the agreement in size and character is exact, there are points 

 about the mouth which differ." Mr. G. C. Crick, F.G.S., of the British Museum, 

 informs me that no specimen answering to Dr. Wright's figures was met with in 

 the collection of the type specimens of " the Lias Ammonites" which the British 

 Museum obtained from a dealer after that gentleman's death. Such is the 

 evidence obtainable ; but it is only right to remark that, as the whole of Dr. 

 Wright's Collection was not acquired by the British Museum, it is possible the 

 figured specimen may have been lost sight of. In any case, for all practical 

 purposes, Dr. Wright's figures may be considered as a representation of Dr. 

 Lycett's original specimen ; and this is an important matter, for the figure of the 

 latter author is so much reduced as to be misleading. Dr. Wright's figures agree 

 exactly in size with Dr. Lycett's specimen, but differ in the following trivial points, 

 viz. that the lower ventral area is too acute, the mouth a trifle too compressed 

 at top, and the ribs of the inner whorls not coarse enough. 



I have the following notes made from an examination of Lycett's original 

 specimen : — " In the inner whorls the ribs are coarse and somewhat wide apart, 

 while the whorls themselves are slightly gibbous. The outer whorls are nearly 

 flat, and the radii become much finer until on the end of the body-chamber they 

 are merely very fine growth-lines. The radii are very little curved on the lateral 

 area, and not much curved forwards on the ventral area. (Lycett's description 

 differs from this, but he probably had specimens of Bum. Moorei and Gramm. 

 mactra mixed together : his figure is correct.) The carina is little more than a 

 sharpening of the ventral area. It is continued on to the body-chamber." 



It was in 1857 that Lycett named this species Am. Moorei, in compliment to 

 Charles Moore, F.G.S. ; but the same name was used by Oppel (' Juraformation,' 

 p. 476) in the same year. I do not know which species has priority ; but it makes 

 no difference now, as Oppel's species belongs to the genus Perisphinctes. 



In 1874, however, Dumortier recognising the difficulty, and considering that 

 Lycett's Am,. Moorei and what he figured as Am. mactra (see p. 176) were identical, 

 superseded the name Am. Moorei by that of Am. mactra (' Bassin Rhone,' iv, p. 252). 



In 1879 Branco gave an excellent figure of Am. Moorei under the name Harpo- 

 ceras mactra, and he quoted Lycett's figure as a synonym. 



In 1884 Wright figured Am. Moorei under the name Harp, aalense (Zieten). 

 In 1885 Hang placed Am. Moorei, Lycett, as a synonym of Am. mactra, Dumortier, 



