Art. LVI.—On the Foraminifera of the Tertiary Beds at Petane, near Napier.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 13, 1880, Page 393

Art. LVI.—On the Foraminifera of the Tertiary Beds at Petane, near Napier. By A. Hamilton. [Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 24th July, 1880.] During the past year I have been collecting the fossils which occur so plentifully in the tertiary beds to the north of the inner portion of Napier harbour to determine their true age and position. When the fossils have been examined and tabulated, I hope to lay the results before you, but as Mr. G. R. Vine, junior, of Sheffield, has kindly forwarded to me some very interesting and valuable information concerning the Foraminifera occurring in these beds, I hasten to communicate the result of his examination of a

small fragment from these beds that I sent to him by post; the more readily as Mr. Vine's high reputation as a palæontologist vouches for the precise identification of such very variable and difficult objects. Mr. Vine adopts Dr. Carpenter's classification, viz.:— Imperforate. Perforate. Miliolidæ.      Litnolidœ. Lagenidæ.      Globigermidæ.      Nummulinidæ. Grouping them as five families under two groups. Although the amount of material was not larger than a walnut, the species and varieties were numerous, four out of the five families being represented. Amongst them occurred a solitary specimen of Entomostraca, probably a form of Carbonia. List of Species and Varietes. Sub-order, Imperforata. Fam. Miliolida. Fig. 1, 2. Miliola seminulum, var. (Biloculina) ringins, Linne. In England the Foraminifera are being arranged all under different types. Thus of the Miliola, 2 seminulum is the type. The variety follows, preceeded by its sub-generic title as above.) This variety is very widely distributed; it is found common and large in the Arctic Ocean (off Norway), at at from 30 to 160 fathoms. In North Atlantic, rare on marginal plateau. British: off the Shetlands, rare in 120 fathoms. Very rare in River Dee. Common in Tasmanian and Australian seas. Fossil in Boulder clays of Cheshire (drift). Miocene, Yarra Yarra, Victoria. The specimens from the material, are the largest and finest that I ever saw. Figs. 3, 4. M. seminulum, var. B. ringens, sub. var. elongata, D'Orb. Much smaller here than the B. ringens, it is more elongate and less globose in form; it is simply a sub-variety of variety ringens, and cannot be really called a species. Rare and small in North Atlantic, in 1450, 1950, 2050 fathoms. British: River Dee, frequent. Fossil: Boulder clays, Cheshire; Yarra Yarra, Victoria. Figs. 5, 6, 7. M. seminulam, var. (Quinqueloculina) triangularis. D. Orb. This is a triangular form of the type which takes its place in some localities. Here the type is not found, but is represented as above. Very rare and small in North Atlantic at various depths. Fossil in Miocene as before. Recent also in Mediterranean, Tasmanian seas, Indian Occean, etc. Is very rarely recorded as a distinct variety, generally classed under the typical name, Seminulum. Here it is rather common in various sizes. Fig. 8. M. seminulum, var. (spiroloculina) planulata. Lamarck. This differs in some respects from the forms called “planulata” by authorities, but I know of no other name for it. It is large, flat, much

Fossil Foraminifera

worn, irregularly striated, and rare. I may have to call it by a different name. Recent in Atlantic, Arctic, British Seas; fossil in London clay, Sheppey. Sub-Order Perforata. Fam. Lagenida. Fig. 9. Nodosaria (Cristellaria) crepidula. Fichted and Moll. Very rare and choice here. Middle size, flat worn, septæ indistinct. Recent, Atlantic, and Arctic; rare. Fossil, boulder clays, Cheshire; London clay. Miocene, Yarra Yarra, trias, lias, and chalk. Fam. Globigerinida. Fig. 10. Texularia agglutinans. (Type) D'Orbigny. Here this species varies considerably from the forms described by Parker and Jones in Phil. Trans., 1865 (N. Atlantic and Arctic Foraminefera), and again the forms there figured differ much from the figures given by Mackie and Jones in “Geologist.” * * * It is found in Arctic and Davis Straits, 20 to 30 fathoms, rather common; also off Norway, 30 to 200 fathoms. Fossil in chalk, eocene, miocene, etc., and its representatives T. eximiæ and T. gibbosa in carboniferous limestone of England and Wales. Fig. 11. Texularia agglutinans, var. (Bigenerina) nodosaria. D'Orb. This form begins with a Texularian, and passes into a Nodosarian growth. The transition between the variety and the type can be easily traced in the material sent. Occurs, recent, all over the world. It has its representative in the carboniferous shales of England and Scotland. Fig. 12. Rotalia beccarii, var. craticulata. Parker and Jones. I think that this is the first time that this variety has been found fossil. It was described by Parker and Jones in Phil. Trans., Royal Soc., Lond., 1865. Here it is the commonest form, and rather large. It is one of the highest of the Rotalinæ, having a rough outline of a “canal system,” characteristic of the Nummulinidæ. Recent in the Fiji Islands. Fig. 13. Planorbulina arcta, var. (Truncatulina) lobatula. W. and J. A plano-convex form of the type, having the chambers embracing on the upper side; under side flat, showing primordial. Recent in all seas. Fossil in London clay, chalk; represented in the carboniferous limestone by T. carbonifera, Brady, and T. Boueana, D'Orb. Fam. Nummulinida. Fig. 14. Polystomella crispa, var. Nonionina umbilicatulu, Montague. Rare and small. A variety of P. crispa, in which the canal system processes are obsolete. Rare to common in various depths of North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. Rare as British. Fossil—Boulder clays, London clay, miocene, chalk.

Fig. 15. Pullenia sphæroides. D'Orb. Also belonging to the family Globigerinida. I have two small specimens coming near to Pullenia sphæroides, D'Orb. It is very rare here, equally rare in miocene, Yarra Yarra, Victoria. Recent. Very rare in North Atlantic. Rather common on the Norwegian coast; 20–200 fathoms. Description of Plate. 1–2. Biloculina ringens, Lamarck. 3–4. " elongata, D'Orb. 5–7. Quinqueloculina triangularis, D'Orb. 8. Spiroloculina planulata, Lamarck. 9. Cristellaria crepidula, F. et M. 10. Texularia agglutinans, D'Orb. 11. Bigenerina nodosaria, D'Orb. 12. Rotalia craticulata, P. et J. 13. Truncatulina lobatula, W. et J. 14. Nonionina umbilicatula, Montague. 15. Pullenia sphæroides, D'Orb. 16. Carbonia ——?