parti] OP THE SHALES-WITH-'BEEE.' 73 



(D) Genus Pararnioceras Spath. 



This genus was created 1 for A. alcinoe Keynes (pi. xxiii, 

 iigs. 7-11), the type being specimen 2713 (Coll. W. D. Lang), 

 which is identified with Keynes's species. This occurs rather 

 abundantly in bed 70c, hence called the ' alcinoe bed,' and is there 

 associated with a more closely costate species, which, however, is 

 laterally not so flat as P. planaries (Keynes). Another new 

 species from the same bed is comparable to P. nodosaries (Quen- 

 stedt), and differs from ' Arietites multicostatits'' Wright (non 

 Sowerby), pi. iv, in being still more densely costate. A new and 

 equally large species, occurring with the above in bed 70 c, has 

 a subtrigonal whorl-section, and differs from Paracoroniceras 

 gmuendense (Oppel) Keynes sp. (pi. xvi, figs. 1-2) chiefly in its 

 obscure ornamentation and in the great width of its first lateral 

 saddle. 



Some smaller crushed examples from bed 70c may represent the 

 young of Pararnioceras. One of these (No. 4649) somewhat 

 resembles Ammonites breoni Keynes (op. cit. 1879, p. 5 & pi. xxxii, 

 figs. 16-17), and suggests connexion with the younger genus 

 Arietites. These smaller specimens are, unfortunately, in a bad 

 state of preservation. 



Forms of the group of Epammonites latesulcatus (Quenstedt) 

 Schmidt sp., notably E. parthenope and E. isis (Ke3'nes), E. pao- 

 lince (Keynes), and E. compressaries (Keynes, non Quenstedt), 

 which by way of E. aglae (Keynes) are connected with the true 

 Amioceras, greatly resemble some species of Pararnioceras ; but 

 they do not seem to range beyond the gmuendense and scipioni- 

 ■a?ium zones, to judge from the collections which I made in Skj-e. 

 In Warwickshire also, at Stockton, with ' ScJilotheimia'' charmassei 

 (A. d'Orbigny), in the 'bircklandi beds,' occur Epammonites aglae, 

 E. sp. nov. (cf. conybeari Keynes non Soweilry, pi. xii), E. cf. 

 breoni? and E. cf. liebe (Reynes), the inner whorls of all of which 

 suggest an Arnioceras-origm. The early Epammonites, then, 

 ■closely connected with the true Amioceras of the Coroniceras 

 Beds, may be considered distinct from the more or less homceo- 

 morphous Pararnioceras, a specialized megalomorph offshoot of 

 another Arietid stock. Nothing like the forms of Pararnioceras 

 here described has been discovered in the beds below 70c of the 

 Charmouth section, and in Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, 

 where Agassiceras sauzeanum occurs plentifully, Pararnioceras 

 also seems to be absent. Thus stratigraphical occurrence and 

 faunal association suggest an Agassiceras origin for Pararnio- 

 ceras ; and from A. reynesi, sp. nov. to Pararnioceras alcinoe 

 (Keynes) or P. nodosaries (Quenstedt) there is only a step. 

 Until, however, the inner whorls of Pararnioceras are known, 

 accurate comparison with both Epammonites and Agassiceras is 

 impossible. 



1 Abs. Proc. Geol. Soc. No. 1079, January 13th, 1922, p. 30. 



