Report on the Radiolaria Collected by H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-1876, First Part: Porulosa (Spumellaria and Acantharia): Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-76, Vol. XVIIIHaeckel, Ernst
Science
Report on the Radiolaria Collected by H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-1876, First Part: Porulosa (Spumellaria and Acantharia): Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-76, Vol. XVIII
Haeckel, Ernst
Radiolaria
B. The Cainozoic Polycystine tripoli or marl of the Mediterranean coast,
which is probably always of Miocene origin, forms very extensive mountain
ranges both in the south of Europe (Sicily, Calabria, Greece) and in the
north of Africa (from Oran to Tripoli) (§ 246). Hitherto, however, only
one locality has been thoroughly investigated, namely, Grotte in the
province of Girgenti in Sicily (L. N. 35). In the accurate account which
was given of it by Stöhr in 1880, 118 species were described, distributed
in 40 genera (L. N. 35; pp. 72-84); of these 118 species 78 are quite
new, 25 are identical with previously known fossils, and 29 identical
with living forms. Among them are 73 SPUMELLARIA (28 #Sphæroidea#, 8
#Prunoidea#, and 37 #Discoidea#), but only 40 NASSELLARIA (1
#Stephoidea#, 6 #Spyroidea#, and 33 #Cyrtoidea#), and 5 PHÆODARIA
(Dictyochida). The other parts of Sicily from which the same upper
Miocene tripoli has been investigated (belonging to the Tortona stage)
have proved less rich than Grotte. The best known of these places is
Caltanisetta, since upon three genera discovered here (_Haliomma_,
_Cornutella_, _Lithocampe_) the group Polycystina was founded by
Ehrenberg in 1838 (see L. N. 16, p. 3). Afterwards 31 species were
described from this locality, of which 23 were again found in Grotte. The
richest deposit on the Mediterranean coast, however, appears to be at
Oran. A small specimen of the Kieselguhr found there, which was recently
sent to me by Professor Steinman, proved to be pure Radiolarian ooze,
very similar to that now found in the Central Pacific, and contained many
hitherto undescribed species; it is deserving of careful investigation
and comparison.
C. Regarding the Tertiary Radiolarian clay of the Nicobar Islands, see §
247 and L. N. 25, pp. 116-120. Its fauna is incompletely known; probably
it is of Miocene or Oligocene origin.
D. Cainozoic tripoli, containing larger or smaller quantities of
Radiolaria, appears to be rather widely distributed in America. Ehrenberg
has described such from South America (polishing-slate from Morro di
Mijellones, on the coast between Chili and Bolivia), and from North
America (Richmond and Petersburg in Virginia, Piscataway in Maryland).
Similar deposits are also found in the Bermuda Islands (L. N. 4, 1855-56;
L. N. 6, Taf. 18; L. N. 16, pp. 3-9; L. N. 41, pp. 475-478, and L. N. 25,
pp. 2-6).
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