m 





CONTRIBUTION TO THE PALEONTOLOGY OF TRINIDAD. 47 



occurs throughout the southern range of the shell. There are among a number 

 of recent shells collected by Mr. Veatch along the shore of the Gulf of Paria be- 

 tween La Brea and San Fernando, Trinidad, a couple of Areas of the section 

 Argina, which are elongated and of very nearly the same form as the fossil shell 

 of which they are evidently direct descendants. But the beak of the fossil is 

 much higher and the angle of the posterior slope is different. The ribs of the 

 recent shell are about the same in number as in the fossil form and they are also 

 slightly grooved in the left valve. The length of the recent shell is also 24 mm., 

 but the height is 19 and the diameter 14 mm. Hence the fossil was proportionally 

 less high and more inflated. 



Both the fossil and the recent Brighton Arginas, though very unlike the typical 

 southern campechensis, do somewhat resemble small specimens of the variety 

 Area americana Gray from the Pleistocene and recent fauna of the Carolinas. 

 But that is a much larger shell, and its distribution is much more northern. 



This and the great difference of geological horizon seem to warrant our con- 

 sidering the Brighton fossils as a separate species. For its recent analogue, if its 

 slight difference of form and its presence in the recent fauna differentiate it 

 sufficiently from the Oligocene shell, the writer would suggest the name pariaensis. 



Locality. — Along the shore 700 feet east of Brighton pier, Trinidad Island, in 

 an impure asphalt. 



Geological horizon. — Approximately equivalent to the Chipola (Upper Oligo- 

 cene) epoch of Florida. 



Area (Argina) pariaensis new species. Plate VIII, Figures 7, 8, 9. 



This is the recent analogue of the Oligocene Area brightonensis. 



For the description of this shell see remarks under that species. 



Locality. — Shores of the Gulf of Paria between La Brea and San Fernando 

 where it was collected by Mr. A. C. Veatch. 



Geological horizon. — Recent. 



Area sp. indet. Plate VII, Figure 16. 



Remarks. — In addition to Area chemnitzioides, which is the most abundant 

 species in the ferruginous bed south of Pitch Lake, there is also a fragment of a 

 cast of a compressed, elongated species. A gutta-percha mould was made of this, 

 which is shown in the figure. 



This species was apparently of somewhat the general form of Dr, Guppy's 

 A. incequilateralis but not identical with it. The single specimen is unfortunately 

 too fragmentary to merit description. 



Locality.— Southern main road just south of Pitch Lake, Brighton, Trinidad, 

 in a yellowish-brown ferruginous stratum. 



Geological horizon. — Oligocene. 



Area sp. indet. 



A fragment of an internal mould of an Area was found in the ferruginous marl 

 just south of Pitch Lake, Brighton, that appears to be a different species from 



