1J4 C. Schuchert — Russian Carboniferous and Permian. 



ceras beds of Jnlfa, the fauna contains a proportionately large 

 number of carboniferous forms. It is to the faunas of these 

 deposits, the normal representatives of the pelagic permian [by 

 this the author means a normal marine fauna], not to the local 

 fauna of the Zechstein, that the permocarboniferous fauna 

 must be compared, if we want to get a clear idea of its rela- 

 tionship to those of the upper carboniferous and permian. 

 Bearing in mind the gradual passage from an upper carbon- 

 iferous to a permian fauna through the intermediate group of 

 rocks, the question to be answered is, which consideration is 

 of the greater importance in defining the boundary between 

 the two systems, the appearance of a new group of cephalo- 

 pods, which become of an unparalleled stratigraphical value 

 in mesozoic times, or the presence of a belated fauna, com- 

 posed of forms which are generally not well adapted for the 

 characterization of narrowly limited horizons. 



u The majority of geologists have decided in favour of the 

 first alternative. G-iimbel, Krassnopolssky, Kayser, Waagen, 

 Credner, Munier-Chalmas and A. de Lapparent, Freeh — to 

 enumerate only a small number among them, — are unanimous 

 in regarding the permocarboniferous as the lowest division of 

 the permian system " (pp. 87-88). 



" In the Mediterranean region three different rock groups 

 have yielded fossil remains of this pelagic development of the 

 permian epoch. These rock groups are the Fusulina lime- 

 stones of the valley of Sosio in Sicily, the Bellerophon lime- 

 stone of South-eastern Tyrol and Friaul, and the Otoceras beds 

 of Julfa in Armenia. All of them are of a rather isolated 

 occurrence and, as far as one may judge from their faunas, of 

 different age. 



" The lowest position is apparently held by the Fusulina 

 limestone of Sicily. Its cephalopod fauna seems to be more 

 nearly related to the Artinskian one than to those of the Jabi 

 beds of the Salt Range or of the Otoceras beds of Julfa. 

 Ammonites with ceratitic sutures are yet absent. According 

 to Karpinsky's statement, one species of Medlicottia is identi- 

 cal with an Artinskian form ; ten more species are very nearly 

 allied. On the other hand, Karpinsky and Waagen noticed 

 the first appearance of Waagenoceras and Hyattoceras in Sic- 

 ily, two genera which show a much more complicated sutural 

 line than any of the Artinskian Ammonea. Waagen conse- 

 quently places the Fusulina limestone of Sicily on a higher 

 level than the permo-carboniferous stage, but on slightly lower 

 level than the Jabi beds of the upper Productus limestone. . . . 



" The Otoceras beds of Julfa with their strongly marked 

 triassic affinities must certainly be higher in the upper palaeo- 

 zoic series than the Fusulina limestone at Sosio. They cannot 

 be much different in age from the Otoceras beds of the Him- 



