CALCAREOUS ALGAE OF THE MIDDLE EAST 51 



and would give a pore-count per square millimetre of about one third that quoted 

 for the type. It is however closest to this rather than to the other Upper Jurassic 

 species G. undulata Pia, G. irregularis Pia and G. ehrenbergi Bachmeyer (comparison- 

 table of Carozzi, op. cit., : 206). In view of this correspondence, and of the in- 

 adequacy of the Middle East material for full description, it is given the qualified 

 determination above. 



" Griphoporella arabica Pfender 1938 " 

 (Ovulites maillolensis Massieux) 



(PI. 12, figs. 1, 3) 



1938 Griphoporella arabica Pfender : 69, pi. 9, figs. 5-8. 



1940 Griphoporella arabica Pfender ; Pfender : 241. 



1955b Griphoporella arabica Pfender ; Elliott : 126. 



1966a Ovulites maillolensis Massieux ; Massieux : 241, pis. 1, 2. 



Description. Broadly club-shaped or elongate-ovoid, thin-walled, hollow calci- 

 fication, external diameter up to 0-9 mm., length not known but at least three times 

 diameter from oblique-longitudinal sections. Wall thickness up to 0-078 mm., 

 perforated by close-set straight-sided pores of about 0-013 mrn - diameter, widening 

 very slightly at the external surface, and set 0-006-0-013 mm. apart as seen in section. 



Horizon. Paleocene and Eocene of France, North Africa and Middle East. 



Material. In Iraqi Kurdistan, from the Kolosh Formation of Koi Sanjak (Erbil 

 Liwa) and from the Sinjar Formation of Sirwan (Sulemania Liwa), both Palaeocene- 

 Lower Eocene. In Arabia, from the Palaeocene-Lower Eocene of Sahil Maleh, 

 Batinah Coast, Oman, and from the Seyun Limestone development of the Umm er 

 Rhudhama Formation (Palaeocene) of Ma'adi Pass, east of the Mukulla-Shihr road, 

 Hadhramaut. 



Remarks. The species was described by Pfender from the Lower Eocene of 

 Morocco, and recorded by her from the Middle Eocene of Egypt and Syria ; a 

 related species was mentioned from Madagascar. Pfender's specimens were smaller, 

 with external diameters of up to 0-4-0-58 mm., and thinner- walled (0-040-0-050 mm. 

 wall-thickness) , but the pores and pore-spacing were similar, and it seems unnecessary 

 to refer the Middle East specimens to a new species because some individuals attain 

 a larger size. 



In her type-description of the French Lower Eocene codiacean Ovulites maillolensis 

 Massieux (1966a) records that from preliminary studies on thin-sections she deter- 

 mined this species as Griphoporella arabica Pfender. Further studies on whole 

 (isolated) segments or articles, and comparison with the classic and beautifully- 

 preserved Paris Basin species (Munier-Chalmas 1881) convinced her that these 

 fossils were remains of Ovulites, as was also Pfender's North African material. The 

 new species was created as Pfender's type-material could not be traced and the 

 original description was inadequate in view of the new evidence available. 



I agree with Mile. Massieux's conclusions. The Middle Eastern material described 

 above was identified by comparison with Pfender's accounts (1938 : 1940), and is 



