Micropaleontology as a profession is scarcely more than 20 years old. In the region of the Gulf Coast the interest of micropaleontologists has centered chiefly on the smaller foraminifera, and to a lesser degree on the larger foraminifera and ostracodes. Despite the excellent monographs on bryozoa by Canu and Bassler, little use has been made of these organisms. Commercial reports occasionally mention certain lamellibranchs, gastropods, or otoliths, though seldom specifically. Fossil remains of other groups of organisms are not infrequently mentioned under the descriptive term "shell-fragments." That the major interest of micropaleontologists should have centered on the foraminifera, both large and small, is not surprising, because of their abundance and excellent preserv tion in the deltaic clays and clayey sands, which predominate in the salt-dome region westward from the Mississippi River to the Rio Grande.

Eastward from the Mississippi, however, terrigenous sediments rapidly diminish in quantity, with limestones and chalks increasing in abundance. Many of these limestones have been subjected to leaching since deposition. The smaller foraminifera appear to have been more soluble than other organisms. Because of the increasing interest in possible oil production from these eastern Gulf Coast states, the purpose of this paper is to point out not only the desirability of using certain easily recognized and abundant species of bryozoa, but to note the occurrence and possible use of ophiurans, comatulid crinoids, starfish, and holothurians. Despite the abundant remains of these four classes of Echinodermata, the writer knows of no previous mention of any of these from the Gulf Coast Tertiary. Possible use of barnacles, crustacean claws, diatoms, and other organisms is also mentioned briefly. A locality list is given to show where the remains of these organisms may be readily obtained.