OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 295 



Conocijathus amongst our fossil corals. There are two new species 

 of Deltocyathus amongst the M adreporaria Aporosa; I have found 

 only one species of Balanophyllia which is all the more remarkable 

 as the genus is so abundantly represented in the Muddy Creek 

 and Geelong strata. But I have been able to add a new species 

 to each of the remarkable and rare genera, Endopachys and 

 Heteropsammia. It would be almost useless to form any conclu- 

 sions from the very few observations which have resulted in the 

 discovery of a few new species, yet I may say that what we have 

 discovered after a very few dredgings, show us plainly what 

 might be expected from an extended series of operations. So far 

 as we have learned the coral fauna of ISTew Zealand is very 

 distinct from the Australian. If the observations of Messrs. 

 Quoy and Gaimard are to be relied upon, the northern end of New 

 Zealand possesses forms which are never found out of the tropics 

 in Australia, and very far within the tropics as well. I refer to 

 Porites Gaimardii and Polyphyllia pelvis. If they were not found 

 alive I should doubt if they were not brought from some of the 

 Pacific Islands. Among the simple corals, Conocyathus zelandice 

 is the only form which I know of as common to both Australia 

 and New Zealand. We have no data for showing what relation 

 there is between Tasmania and Australia in the coral fauna ; 

 but as most of the simple corals have a wide range and do not 

 seem to be restricted by a cold temperature, there is probably 

 very little difference in the species. 



The only corals on the south and S.E. coasts of Australia which 

 could in any sense be called reef-building forms, are one or two 

 species of Stylaster, and one or two of Plesiastrcea. Both of these 

 are littoral, and grow in tufts or small masses, but never in any- 

 thing more than the merest patches. Stylaster, though not 

 uncommon about Port Jackson, has not been found as far as I am 

 aware on the south coast, while Plesiastrcea seems to extend from 

 Port Jackson right round to South Western Australia. 



Amongst the new species here described there are two for 

 which I have been obliged to erect two new genera. One is a 

 parasitic coral of minute size which has grown on the base of 



