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A CONTRIBUTION TO THE PALEONTOLOGY OF TRINIDAD. 

 By Carlotta Joaquina Maury, Ph.D. 



The material described in the following pages was obtained by a geological 

 expedition in charge of Mr. A. C. Veatch, the writer being the paleontologist. 



The expedition was carried on under the auspices of the General Asphalt 

 Company of Philadelphia. Opportunity to publish is due to the courtesy of 

 Mr. Arthur Sewall, and Mr, John M. Mack, the present and former presidents 

 of the above company, to whom science is thus indebted for this contribution. 



The types have been deposited in the Museum of Cornell University as the 

 gift of Mr. Mack. 



The exquisite drawings which illustrate this report are of special value, as 

 they were made by one who is not only an artist but also an eminent paleon- 

 tologist, Professor G. D. Harris. 



Many thanks are due to Dr. Dall, of the United States National Museum; 

 Dr. Stanton, of the United States Geological Survey; Professor G. D. Harris, 

 of Cornell University, and Dr. Rufus M. Bagg for their valuable suggestions. 



The specimens were collected from Tertiary beds at Brighton, on the Island 

 of Trinidad, and from the small outlying islets, Soldado and Farallon Rocks. A 

 few are also included from Cretaceous shales and Pleistocene raised beaches, — 

 both on the opposite Venezuelan mainland. 



Paleontogically the Tertiary faunas proved very interesting because never 

 before have true basal Eocene beds been found in the Antillean region. 



Stratigraphically these faunas were most important because they form a 

 perfect link between the Alabama Midway Eocene and the Pernambuco beds 

 of Brazil, the age of which has hitherto not been determined. 



For descriptions of the fossiliferous horizons of Trinidad other than those 

 described in the following pages the reader is referred to the publications of 

 Dr. R. J. Lechmere Guppy, of Port of Spain, Trinidad. Dr. Guppy has for 

 forty-nine years investigated and reported upon the fossil faunas of Trinidad, 

 Jamaica, Tobago, Antigua, and other Antillean islands, and is still contributing 

 able and valuable articles on both the paleontology and stratigraphy of the 

 islands. 



OLIGOCENE FOSSILS FROM TRINIDAD. 



On the shore near the pier at Brighton are several small exposures of asphalt 

 filled with shells. The two most important of these are respectively 700 feet 

 east and 1000 feet west of the pier. The eastern exposure is an irregular mass 

 much washed by the waves, the western appears to show a distinct northward 

 dip; but on account of the unstable character of the asphalt not much dependence 



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