72. MR. R. B. NEWTON ON FOSSILS PROM MADAGASCAR. [Feb. 1895, 



On a Collection of Fossils from Madagascar obtained by the 

 Rev. B. Baron. By B. Bullen Newton, Esq., F.G.S., of the 

 Geological Department, British Museum [Natural History], 

 (Bead November 21st, 1894.) 



[Plates II. & III.] 



Contents. Page 



I. Introduction 72 



II. Previous Work on the Palaeontology of Madagascar 



(excluding references to Quaternary vertebrata) 73 



III. Description of the Jurassic Fossils 78 



IV. Note on the Structures of some Limestones from 



gascar 86 



V. List of all the recognized Fossils from Madagascar 87 



I. Introduction. 



The fossils contained in this collection were procured from a 

 number of localities in the northern and north-western parts of 

 Madagascar by the Bev. B. Baron, during an extensive journey 

 which he undertook in 1891, as an officer of the London Missionary 

 Society. They may be regarded as supplemental to those that he 

 collected some few years previously in the north-western districts, 

 fossils which were described in 1889 before this Society as repre- 

 sentative of Eocene, Cretaceous, and Jurassic rocks. 



The present collection, besides comprising organic remains from 

 these different horizons, contains a few terrestrial shells referred to 

 Achatina panthera, Acliatina like A. Layardi, Bidiminus (Bachis) 

 punctatus, and Pomatias {TropidophorcC)virgata. These were found 

 in a Quaternary deposit capping the hill of Ambohimarina at a 

 height of over 1400 feet above sea-level, and they are known to 

 exist on the island at the present day. The Tertiary (Eocene) 

 specimens consist entirely of foraminifera. They were obtained 

 from the island of Antanifaly (N.W. coast) and have been deter- 

 mined as Nummidites allied to N. Bellardii, JV. perforata, N. com- 

 planata, and Assilina spira ; species which have a wide distribution, 

 though mostly confined to South European countries, Egypt, West 

 Asian localities, and India. 



The Cretaceous fauna contributes one specimen of Lampadaster 

 Grandidieri *?, found in a red limestone, immediately beneath the 

 subsoil of Ambohimarina Hill, which also contains Frondicidaria, etc., 

 and dense masses of Globigerince ; while examples of Belemnites 

 pistilliformis prove the presence of Neocomian rocks north of 

 Andranosamonta village. 



Among Jurassic fossils a new species of gasteropod has been 

 described, besides several lamellibranchs ; while a form of Perna 

 with extremely antero-convex valves has been doubtfully referred 

 to a Syrian species. In studying the Jurassic fauna of Madagascar 

 ■one is struck with its resemblance to that of England, Europe, 

 Eastern Africa, and India. Such forms as Trigonia pullns and 



