Yol. 5I-] MR. R. B. NEWTON ON FOSSILS EEOM MADAGASCAR. 77 



Later in the same year (1889) M. Gustave Cotteau 1 described, 

 but without figuring, two Cretaceous echinoids collected by Colonel 

 Eocard at Antsingy, south of the Bay of Diego Suarez, in the 

 extreme north of the island. 



These were determined as Guettaria Rocardi (n. sp.) and Lampad- 

 aster (n. gen.) Grandidieri (n. sp.). 



Early in 1890, the late Prof. Noumayer 2 summarized the more 

 important results which he considered deducible from the determina- 

 tions of Mr. Baron's fossils made by myself in the previous year. 

 He instituted a comparison between the Uitenhage (Neocomian ) 

 formation of South Africa and the Neocomian beds of Madagascar, 

 taking the Belemnites for his palseontological standard. The only 

 species of this cephalopod occurring in the former is B. africanus, 

 referred to the group Absoluti, which is typical of the boreal region 

 and the northern part of the temperate zone. 



The belemnites of Madagascar are represented by the groups 

 JIastati, containing B. pistilliformis ; and Notocaili, containing 

 B. conicus, B. pok/gonalis, and B. binervius ; both of which groups 

 include typically equatorial forms, and, though widely distributed in 

 Middle European regions, do not occur in northern territories or in 

 boreal areas. This evidence was regarded, together with other 

 details, as demonstrating the existence of land in Cretaceous times 

 extending from South Africa across the Indian Ocean. The whole 

 of this subject was subsequently enlarged upon in Dr. W. T. 

 Blanford's 3 Presidential Address before the Geological Society 

 during the same year. 



A list of the known fossils from Madagascar was published by 

 Mr. Baron 4 in 1890. One hundred and five species were enumerated, 

 with their horizons and localities. 



In April 1893 M. Gautier 5 directed attention to the occurrence 

 of Alectryonia (Ostrea) ungulata at Mahamavo (lat. 15° 30' 45" S., 

 long. 44° 10' 50" E.) in the north-west, and alluded to the rocks 

 containing them as of Jurassic age, specifying the strata on a map 

 which accompanied his remarks. This was an error of judgment, as 

 the species referred to was typically Cretaceous. 



In May 1893, I described 6 the first recorded Secondary reptile 

 from Madagascar. This interesting specimen was discovered by 

 Mr. Baron at Andranosamonta village, in the north-west, and from 

 its association with certain forms of molluscan remains (to be after- 



1 ' Echinides cretaces de Madagascar,' Bull. Soc. zool. France, vol. xn. 

 (1889) pp. 87-89. 



2 ' TJeber neuere Versteinerungsfunde auf Madagascar,' Neues Jahrb. 1890, 

 vol. i. pp. 1-9. 



3 Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xlvi. (1890) Proc. p. 98. 



1 ' Geological Notes : a complete List of the Known Fossils from Mada- 

 gascar,' Antananarivo Annual for 1890, no. xiv. pp. 242-245. 



5 ' Mission Emile Gautier a Madagascar,' Annales de Geographie, (Paris) 1893, 

 no. 7, pp. 355-364 ; map (partly geological). 



6 ' On the Discovery of a Secondary Reptile in Madagascar, Steneosaurus 

 Baroni (n. sp.),' Geol. Mag. 1893, pi. ix. pp. 193-196; reprinted in the 

 Antananarivo Annual for 1893, no. xvii. pp. 26-28. 



