Varicardium serum (Hutton). (Pl. 37, Figs. 26, 27.)

1873. Protocardium serum Hutt., Cat. Tert. Moll., p. 23.

1886. Protocardium serum Hector, Outline N.Z. Geol., p. 54, fig. 15, no. 13.

1914. Protocardia sera Hutt., Suter, N.Z.G.S. Pal. Bull. 2, p. 53, pl. 14, fig. 8.

1926. Nemocardium patulum (Hutt.), Finlay, T.N.Z.l., vol. lvii, p. 471.

As will be seen from the discussion under the following species, V. serum should not be synonymized with patulum, the type locality of which must be regarded as The Deans, Waipara, and from which it can be readily separated by its higher, less circular outline. The rather crude figures of Hector's Outline give a very good rendering of this difference in shape.

Localities: As shown by the peculiar matrix, Hutton's Broken River locality of his 1873 Catalogue, in most cases, is really the same as Geol. Surv. 239 (and some of 449), “Tuffs between limestones, Junction of Porter and Thomas Rivers, Trelissick Basin.” (Perhaps Duntroonian.) G.S. 2946, Clifden, zone 6a (about Awamoan).

Varicardium patulum (Hutton). (Plate 37, Figs. 24, 28, 32, 33.)

1873. Cardium patulum Hutt., Cat. Tert. Moll., p. 23.

1886. Cardium patulum Hutt., Hector, Outline N.Z. Geol., p. 54, fig. 15, no. 3.

1917. Protocardia (Nemocardium) alata Suter, N.Z.G.S. Pal. Bull. 5, p. 78, pl. 10, fig. 8.

1924. Protocardia patula (Hutt), Finlay, T.N.Z.I., 55, p. 498, ? includes sera and alata.

1926. Nemocardium patulum (Hutt), Finlay, T.N.Z.I. 57, p. 471.

When Suter (1914) revised Hutton's 1873 types, several were missing. Most of these have since been found, and among them that of Cardium patulum. The shell, which is from The Deans, Waipara, is fairly complete and proves to be easily distinguished by shape from V. serum. Unaware that Hutton's type had been recovered, Finlay designated Broken River (Lower) as the type locality of patulum. Hutton, however, gave as localities, “The Deans, Waipara; Broken River (L) ?”. By analogy with Internat. Rules, Art. 30, sect. IIe, γ, the doubtful locality is not available and the other is automatically the type. This, in addition to the existence of Hutton's original type, invalidates the Broken River designation.

Although Suter's holotype of alata is only a fragment, it is clearly conspecific with the type of patulum. Both are from the same district, Suter's specimen, collected by Thomson (1920, p. 363) from a shell bed at the base of the Main Mount Brown limestone in Weka Creek, and Hutton's from The Deans, Waipara, some three miles south along a prominent escarpment.