Geology and Natural History. 421 



This Permian limestone is often abundantly fossiliferous, but 

 the diagenetic changes of these strata appear to have destroyed 

 much of its life. On weathering the limestone is seen to be 

 almost made up of Diplopora (calcareous algae), what appear to 

 be Stenopora (bryozoa), and foraminifera, but the Fusulinidae are 

 wholly absent. There are many other larger fossils, but these are 

 rarely to be obtained in identifiable condition. Of these the most 

 abundant species is Productus cf. indictis. 



Diener identifies among others eight species of productoids, 

 Hichthofenia aff. lawrencia^ia, Comelicania haueri (the guide 

 brachiopod of the Bellerophon limestone), Heniiptychina cf. 

 injiata, and N'otothyris mediterranea. The aspect of this fauna 

 is, therefore, decidedly that of the Productus limestone of India 

 and belongs in the Tethys faunal realm. 



It is stated by Diener that the most abundant fossils are forms 

 of Productus near P. striatus, P. semireticidatits, and P. inflatiis, 

 types that remind one very much more of the Pennsylvanian 

 than the Permian. These are, however, the unprogressive forms 

 and have not the stratigraphic value of the new brachiopod 

 developments, such as Richthofenia, Hemiptychina and Noto- 

 thyris. It is this contradictory associated evidence that has led 

 Tschernyschew to regard the Productus limestone of India 

 (which is of Permian age) as equivalent to the Upper Carboni- 

 ferous of Russia, and which the reviewer opposed in this Journal 

 for July and August, 1906. 



Diener states definitely that the Bellerophon limestone and 

 the Productus limestone are younger than the Upper Carboni- 

 ferous. He adds: "The fauna of Schonbrunn and Schaschar 

 (Upper Krain) teaches us that the anthracolitic brachiopods can- 

 not be used [interprovincially] for detailed stratigraphic diflPeren- 

 tiation, even when the species are based upon trivial character- 

 istics, although they may be so used in circumscribed areas as 

 guide fossils in identical kinds of strata" (307). Further, that 

 the Bellerophon limestone cannot be regarded as a transitional 

 fauna to the Triassic. It is still rich in Paleozoic brachiopods, 

 the corals and nautilioids are decidedly Paleozoic, while the few 

 ammonites are of types occurring in the Permian and Lower 

 Triassic of India. The bivalves are those of the Zechstein. The 

 gastropods are somewhat moi-e progressive in that the Triassic 

 genera Marmolatella, Platychilina, Hologyra, and Trachyspira 

 appear here for the first time, but in general the class is still 

 Paleozoic. Therefore, the Bellerophon limestone is still Permian 

 and has its clearest analogue in the Productus limestone of India. 



Diener recommends that Waagen's term "Anthracolithic 

 Epoch" be used for the combined Upper Carboniferous and 

 Permian faunas because of the difficulties often locally encoun- 

 tered in separating these biota. Permo-Carbon cannot be so used 

 as it is now applied to the Artinskian series. c. s. 



5. The Phytogeny of the Felidoe ; by William D. Matthew. 

 Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. xxviii, pp. 289-316 and 15 



