Paper on a collection of fossils from Springvale, near Couva, Trinidad / by R.J. Lechmere Guppy.

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(SOCIETY PAPER, No. 454.)

FOSSILS FROM SPRINGVALE NEAR COUVA.
TRINIDAD.

SECOND REPORT—IN CONTINUATION OF SOCIETY
PAPER, No. 440.

By R. J. LECHMERE Guppy,

Honorary Consulting Geologist to The Society.

Read before The Society, 17th January, 1QrI.

I have already made a first Report on the Springvale Fossils
which has appeared in the Proceedings of The Society for
November 1910, page 447.° Under the Auspices of the Agri |
cultural Society I visited the Springvale quarry on the 16th
November, in company with Dr. Fredholm and others. The
Road Officer, Mr. Todd, who is in charge of the quarry, gave
us every assistance. This enabled me to glean some further
information, The deposit is one of remarkable richness in
fossil shells and the variety of species found in the one place
is quite astonishing. The shells are generally well-preserved,
but their fragilty is such that many beautiful specimens go
to pieces on handling er in transport. I found that the

2

difference in color of different samples of the bed, which
I had previously, noticed, was due merely to oxidation, the
portions of the bed near the surface being converted to a
reddish-brown color, while the inner parts were grey. This is
quite a common or rather almost universal change produced
by the access of air and Water.

The quarry is situated on the side of a low hill, one of
the lateral spurs of the Montserrat range. It is in a cacao
wood and the neighbouring surfaces are covered with vegetation,
so that it could only be with axe, pick and spade that further
exploration could be made. I should think it lkely that the
deposit would be found to extend to a considerable distance.
The material would be useful on a soil destitute of lime, but
the soils in the immediate neighbourhood are fairly supplied
with this substance. ‘There are plenty of soils in the Couva
district and neighbouring parts which would be improved
by the addition of this fossiliferous rock. As a road material
it may serve in default of better, but it would not be of any
great durability, and could not stand heavy traffic.

I endeavored without success to obtain some information
as to dip and strike and the relations of the bed to other beds
in the neighbourhood. ‘There was a kind of false bedding which
obscured the real relations of the strata—-but as no other
beds were visible above or below I could not ascertain any
other facts. Still in order to exhibit the relations of the strata
I subjoin a diagram which I hope will assist in making
the general relations clear. This shows that the Couva and
Montserrat miocene shell deposits were in course of formation
at the same time as the latter part of the oceanic deposits. ‘The
subsequent folding dislocation and upheaval have altered the
apparent relations of the formations. Until we know the ground
better, and have detailed information as to the outcrop, Xc.,
of the geological formations we cannot give a more definite
Section than this approximate one, which is only diagrammatic.

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The terms Eocene Miocene and Pliocene were originally
fixed by Lyell for the three great divisions of the tertiary strata
(see Principles of Geology 8th Ed. page 177 ; El2ments 6th Ed,
page 187; and Student’s Manual 1878 page 122) in accordance
with the percentage of recent species found in the formations
so designated. The percentage test though fundamentally a
useful one is not always free from difficulty in its application
to particular cases, and the West Indian miocene formation is
one of these cases. And this arises in some degree from the
fact that the proportion of recent species varies with each
observer. According to the list of names I give, amounting
to about a hundred species, there are not more than three
or four still-existing species in our miocene beds, and even
these can easily be disposed of by giving them other names
which in most cases are ready to hand. When we come to
examine the shells we find a large number of them so near
to living species that it is only by critical tests that we can
separate then. But the recent Analogues of these shells resolve
themselves into at least two categories, namely 1° species
still living in the West Indies, and 2° species not now living
in the West Indies. And we find the resemblances of the
West Indian miocene shells are largely with Pacific and Indian
species rather than with West Indian species, Many again are
akin to European miocene species, so that when we compare
the fossil Fauna as a whole we find it very unlike the recent
West Indian Fauna.

It may be noted as regards this collection that litoral
shells are absent from it.

At different times I determined Fossils for Mr. Cunningham
Craig. Several of these had previously occurred to me _ in
the Caroni beds of Savaneta and are included in my list already
published. ‘To complete the list of miocene fossils so far known
I add the names of such as were not given in that list to
those of the Springvale Fossils now recorded. These Fossils

4

are additional evidence of the miocene age of the Springvale
Savaneta and Montserrat beds and of the essential identity
of their Fauna with that of the Bowden beds of Jamaica and
the miocene formations of Haiti and Cumana.

ADDITIONAL LIST OF FOSSILS FROM SPRINGVALE, &C.

[In this list the same letters are used as in the former list in
which, however, the letter P (page 451 line 9) should be D.|

MOLLUSKA—1I GASTROPODA.

Natica cuspidata new species S.
Capulus efluens new species S.
Turitela tornata Guppy * S.J.H.
apicalis Heilprin S.
Ientalium domingense Sow. * H.
Conus recognitus Guppy * S.H.J.
stenostomus Sow. S.H.J.°
Pleurotoma henekeni Sow. S.H.].
haitense Sow* H.J.
venustum Sow. * S.H.].
squamosum Gab. D.
Glyphostoma dentiferum Gab. * H.
Casis sulcifera Sow. S.H.
Fusus haitensis Sow. * H.
Phos moorei Guppy * J.H.
Terebra sulcifera Sow. S.H.
Columbela venusta Sow. S.H.D.
Murex domingensis Sow. S.H.
Solenosteira semiglobosa n. sp. 8.
cochlearis n. sp. S.
Turbinelus scolymoides Dal. S,
Modulus turbinatus Heilpr. $.
Turbonila simplicior Guppy. D.

PROCEEDINGS. AGRICULTURAL SociETY. VoL\ XI. Pa Il

The Jacobson Studio.

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PERTIARY Fossins, TRINIDAD.

5
2, CONCHIFERA.

Raeta meridionalis n. sp. S.
Crasatela melina Contr. S.J.
Cytherea juncea Guppy * S.J.
Cardium haitense Sow. * H.].
Cardita scabricostata Guppy * J.
Pectunculus acuticostatus Sow. * H.J.
Arca taentata Dall S.
Pecten lyonit Gab. S.H.
soror Gab. S H.
Placenta patinata new species near orbicularis

3. POLyzoon.

Cupularia calyxglandis Guppy *

NOTES ON THE SHELLS WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THE
NEW SPECIES.

NATICA CUSPIDATA (new Species). PI. 2. Fig. 4.

Shell moderately thick, smooth with lines of growth
somewhat sinuate near the Suture-globose-depressed-ovate. Spire
pointed—Whorls five or six. Callus large stout conical,
impressed with a transverse sulcus—Umbilicus a narrow deep
chink. Largest diameter 70 mm. Height 60 mm. - Like N.
didyma Bolton, with a similar but more developed Callus. ‘The
shell is more sigaretiform.

NATICA CANRENA Linn. The Miocene fossil is called N.
plicatela by Conrad. See Vall, Flor. Foss. Part. I Page 3064:
The eastern Analogue is N. alapapilionis Chemn.

_ CAPULUS EFLUENS (new Species).

Shell obliquely spiral. Wherls 1apidly increasing, fiuted
with Icngitudiral grceves separated Ly searcely-cefircd reunced

6 :

keels or ridges Spire small uncinate. Aoverture large. Length

zomm. Height 15mm.

The specimens are imperfect and not separable from ‘the
matrix, but they seem to deserve a name. ‘The shell is similar
‘n shape to C. mitrula, but it is distinguished by its larger
longitudinal flutings. It recalls our old friend C. vetustus.

TURITELA TORNATA, Guppy—Journal Geological Society
1$66,-P. 580 PL 2x9 Pig, 12:

T. altirata Gab. and gatunensis Gab. appear to be synonyms.

This widely distributed and variable species has been
redescribed as I. gabii by Toula (Gatun T’ossils, Tafel xxv (1) I. 5).

CoNUS RECOGNITUS, Guppy—Journ. Geol. Soc. 1876 P. 527
(. solidus Sow. Journ. Geol. Soc. 1850 P. 45.

CONUS STENOSTOMUS Sow.—Journ. Geol. Soc. 1850 P. 44

Id. Guppy—Journ, Geol. Soc. 1866 P. 287

Pl. xvi Fig. 2.
C catenatus Sow. l.c. P. 45 Pl. ix Fig. 2.
C. interstinctus Guppy I]. c. P. 288 PL. xvi F. 3.

2 C. sulculus Dal. ? C. planiceps Heilprin

Compare also C. haitensis, symetricus and domingensis Sow.
The variation among the cones is great and I think that we
have already more names than species, consequently it is hard
to find the right name for a specimen.

7
PLEUROTOMA VENUSTUM Sow.—Journ. Geol. Soc. 1850.

Page 59 Pl. x. Fig. 7. A single small specimen of the form
of this I described as Pl. jamaicense (Journ. Geol. Soc, 1866
P. 290 Pl. xvi Fig. 6) occurs in the collection See Journ, Geol.
Soc. 1876 Page 527.

PLEURCTOMA HENEKENI Sow. Journ. Geol. Soc. 1850 P. 50.

Pl x. Fig. 6 (including P. jaquense Sow. and
Pl. longicaudata and P, humerosa of Gabb).
Is allied to Pl. belardii of the european Miocene

Casis SULCIFERA Sow. Journ. Geol. Soc. 1850 Page 47
od ee a a

Fragments apparently belonging to this Species.
COLUMBELA VENUSTA Sow. Journ. Geol. Soc. 1850
Yo48 Pix E.G.
Metulela venusta Gab. J. A. N. S. Phil. 1972
Been FP. 3.

SOLENOSTEIRA SEMIGLOBOSA (new Species. Pl, 2. Fig. 5, 6.)

Shell pyriform strongly lirate subrimate spirally tuberculate
on the angle of the last Whorl. Spire pointed. Whorls about
seven, carinate. Spiral lire or keels subacute. Aperture ovate
outer lip dentate—Columella Callus sometimes granulate.

Nearly allied to Rapana and Rapa, but on account of the
differences I provisionally use Dall’s generic name Solenosteira
(Florida Fossils Part I P. 122).

SOLENOSTEIRA COCHLEARIS (new Species. Pl. 2: Fig. 3.)
Shell solid subpyriform rimate spirally lirate tuberculate on

the angle of the whorls, Keels or Lire strongly subacute,
triple or quadruple, crossed by strong rather irregular lines

8

of growth. Aperture ovate. Lip strongly dentate. Callus rather

thin. Spire (imperfect probably) rather conic. Canal moderately
long.

This is more purpuroid and less globose than S. semiglobosa,
and the tubercles on the angle of the whorl are not cenfined
to the last whorl. I assign it to Dall’s genus for the same
reason as the last. I would not undertake to say without further
study in what group these shells should definitively be placed.

MUREX CORNURECTUS Guppy Journ. Geol. Soc. 1876
P, 521 Pl. xxvii F. 4.
It is closely related to M. mo-quinianus Duval of West

Coast of Africa (teste Petit) Journ. de Conch. 1853 Page 203
Ply}. 4

TEREBRA SULCIFERA Sow. Journ. Geol. Soc. 1850 P. 47

Guppy Journ Geol Soc. 1876 Page 525 Pl. xxix Fig 8. .
T. bipartita Sow. and inaequalis Sow are synonyms.

RAETA MERIDIONALIS new Species. Pl. 2 Fig. 1.
Oval-oblong rather rostrate somewhat inflated medially

concentrically sulcate with smaller lines or grooves between
the larger ones.

There are no means of getting at the hinge of the single
imperfect example. The proportions appear to be slightly more
elongate than those of R. canaliculata (Adams, Gen. Moll.
Pl. cii Fig. 4.)

CRASATELA MELINA Conrad. Dall, Florida Fossils Part V,

Pl. xxxvii Fig. 6.

Cr. marylandica Guppy Proc. U.S. National Museum 1896
Page 329

5

Compare also Cr. jamaicensis Dal. Flor. Foss, Part vi
Page 1471, Pl. xlix Fig. 13.

One Specimen.

CLEMENTIA TAENIOSA Guppy. Proc U.S. National Museum
1896 P. 327, Pl. xxx, Fig 8.

Irom the Montserrat Beds. One Specimen.

CYTHEREA PLANIVIETA Guppy. Journ. Geol. Soc. 1866
Page 292 Pl. xviii Fig. 3

This species is abundant and finel.y developed at Springvale,
hence we give a figure of it (Pl. 2. Fig. 2). The concentric
plication is very variable and some specimens are quite smooth.
Its kinship to C. erycinoides and C. striatela of the European
Tertiaries, also to the recent C. erycina, was noted in the
original description, and it may further be remarked that it is
a member of the same group as the well-known C chione of
European seas.

ARCA TAENIATA Dal, Flor. Foss. Part tii Page 631 Pl. xxv, Fig. 1.

There is only a fragment in the collection attached to a
cast. It belongs to the Section Barbatia and is near to
A. obliquata Wood of the Indian Ocean.

ANCILARIA LAMELATA Guppy. A. shepardi Dall Flor. Foss.
Part 1 Page 46 Pl. iv, F. 4.

Mopuivus tTurpinatus Heilpr. Dall Flor. Foss. Part i
Pl. xviii, F, 12.
A Fragment.

TURITELA APICALIS Heilpr. Dall Flor. Foss. Part i, P. 316
Pl. xvi, F. ro—13

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TURBINELUS SCOLYMOIDES Dal.

Flor. Foss. Part i Pl. in, ¥i233-
A Fragment.

PECTEN LYONII Gab.

Gabb, Caribean Fossils, Journ. Acad. N.S. Phil. 1881
(vol. vin). P. 347, Pl. xlv, F. 25. Near.to P. japonica ae
pleuronectes. A specimen is near six inches (140mm.) in
diameter. It goes to pieces on a touch. It is found in the
Miocene of Anguila ad Jamaica, also Central America, Gabh’s

*s

P. papyracea from Haiti is probably a young specimen.
PECTEN SOROR Gab.

Geology of San Domingo Page 257.
Dall, Flor. Foss. Part ii Page 712,

The convex valve has twenty ribs, but the flat one has
only about a dozen. Only two or three disunited valves ha e
occurred.

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