^ Ol. 67.] THE FOSSIL ECBTNOIDEA OF CYRENAICA. 673 



whereas in Hyp>soclypeus the bourrelets are much more prominent. 1 

 In this respect, the species founded as Heteroclypeus hemisphericus 

 agrees with Hypsoclypeus. The inclusion of this species in 

 EcMnolampas seems impossible, without merging in that genus 

 several genera that are now accepted. 2 The excellent figures 

 published by Dr. Stefanini of Airaghi's species, EcMnolampas pigna- 

 tarii, show its identity, as Stefanini has pointed out, with the 

 H. hemispliericus from Malta ; and as there is an old-established 

 species of EcMnolampas named hemispliericus, he merged the 

 Maltese species in E. pignatarii Air. The exclusion of H. hemi- 

 spliericus from EcMnolampas, however, allows it to retain its older 

 specific name, which dates from 1891. 



M. Lambert 3 has suggested that Hypsoclypeus hemispliericus is 

 the young of Pomel's H. doma.* That view seems to me improbable, 

 as the type of the Maltese species is both longer and wider than 

 any of the four specimens of H. doma of which the dimensions are 

 stated by Pomel. H. hemispliericus has the height less than half 

 the length (64 mm. to 155 mm.); whereas, of the specimens of 

 H. doma of which Pomel gave dimensions, the height is half the 

 length in the figured type, more than half the length in another, 

 and slightly less in a third ; and yet the flattest specimen is still 

 higher proportionately than H. hemispliericus. In H. doma the 

 apex is before the centre, and in H. hemisphericus behind the 

 centre. Moreover, H. doma is of Cartennian (that is, of Burdigalian 

 or Langhian) age, and H. hemisphericus is from the higher series, 

 the Helvetian. 



Hemiaster scillje Wright, 1855. 



J. W. Gregory, ' Maltese Foss. Ech.' Trans. Boy. Soc. Edin. vol. xxxvi (1891) p. 611 . 

 Opissaster scillce Stefanini, ' Ech. Mioc. di Malta nel Museo di iFirenze ' Boll. 

 Soc. Geol. Ital. vol. xxvii'(1908) p. 470 & pi. xvii, fig. 7. 



Distribution. — Malta: Seam No. 4 of the Globigerina Lime- 

 stone (Aquitanian) at Fommer Reh. In Cyrenaica : 100 feet above 

 the camp at Ain Sciahat. 



The upper surface of the one specimen found is so damaged that 

 the fasciole is not visible, but the echinoid has the distinctive form 

 of this species. Its length is 45 millimetres, width 43 mm., and 

 height 35*5 mm. 



1 M. Lambert, however, instead of taking Bell's one species as the type of 

 the genus, accepts E. hoffmanni Desor as the type, and accordingly describes 

 P alee ol am pas as having the floscelle much, better developed than in Echino- 

 lampas. Hypsoclypeus, etc. : ' Etude sur les Echinides de la Molasse de Yence ' 

 Ann. Soc. Lettres, Sci. & Arts des Alpes-Maritimes, vol. xx (1906) p. 33. 



2 M. Lambert (ibid. p. 33) founded a new genus Scutolampas on E. plagio- 

 sornvs, which he has abandoned as a synonym of Hypsoclypeus. 



3 ' Descr. Ech. foss. Terr. Mioc. Sardaigne ' Abhandl. Schweiz. Pal. Gesellsch. 

 vol. xxxiv (1907) p. 54. This question is discussed by Dr. Stefanini, who 

 maintains the two species, in Boll. Soc. Geol. Ital., vol. xxvii (1908) pp. 459-60. 



4 A. Pomel, 'Paleont. Algerie — Zooph. Fasc. 2, Echinodermes' livr. ii (1887) 

 p. 163, pi. B ii, figs. 1-3. The text refers to figures of the species in pis. B ii bis 

 & B iii, but these plates are not present in the Natural History Museum copy, 

 and were apparently never published. 



