370 OEOI.(Wy .\XD PKTROi.OGY OF TIIK CRKAT SERPEX'TINK UELT OK N.S.W., 



Piotluctus acuieatu^ Z:; tn D:; (Ki .') 



cora* Z2 to Di (Ki?) 



fimbriatus Si tci Di 



flemiiigii (== burrmfiiiiiuns.s) .. .. K2 to Ci 



pHiictatWi Ci to Si (Ki ■?) 



scabriculus Ci to Di (Ivi ?) 



loidatus Viseant 



Reticularia lineata Zi to D2 



Spiriferina octoplicatat Ki to Ci 



Ci/rtina carhotiaria Si to Di 



The a\eiage position of this fauna, calculated in the same manner as be- 

 fore, is in the middle of the Lower Siirinr/iitht/ria zone, Ci, or, if we take into 

 account the Scottish records, the result is merely to bring the average down to the 

 base of the same zone. Combining the two lists we reach as an average derived 

 from the thirty-one British lirachiopods in the Burindi Series, a horizon in the 

 middle of the Upper Syri)igothiiri<< zone, or as nearly as possible on the dividing 

 line between the Tournaisian and Yisean. This accords with Professor David's 

 view that the Burindi Series is approximately coeval with the Osage Series (Midille 

 Mississippian), the Burdiehouse Limestone of Scotland, the Visean System of 

 Europe and perhapi^ the Lipak Series of Spiti in the Himalayas (4). Analysing 

 the lists more closely, we may point out that Spiriferina oclnplieatci. occurring m 

 the Clarencetown district, is confined to the Tournaisian, and particularly charac- 

 terises the zone K2. Orthis resupinata, though it-', mutations extend to the Dilrnvn- 

 phyllum zone, is characteristically abundant in Z2, and Leptaena ano'topa and 

 Ch'Onetes papilionacea, both most common in tlie southern region, are chiefly con- 

 fined to the Tournaisian in Britain, though Parsons records the former as com- 

 mon in the D2 zone in Leicestersliire.^ On the other hand, the Productids, with 

 the exception of P. flemingii, are almost all Visean, and the exclusively Visean 

 foi'uis of Lithiist ration appear in the northern, but not so far as it is yet known 

 with certainty, in the southern region of tlie Burindi Series. There is, therefore, 

 perhaps some reason to hope that as the detailed stratigraphical study of the 

 Burindi Beds proceeds, accompanied by refined palaeontological work, a regular 

 succession of faunal zones may be shown to exist in this State as elsewhere. Such 

 investigation, however, will he particularly difficult in the absence of much or 

 regular variation in the lithology of the Burindi locks. 



It is of interest to recall the great contribution to this study made by Pro- 

 fessor De Koninck over forty years ago. Summarising his study of the Car- 

 boniferous fauna of the State he said, "In order to deduce from the collection of 

 species described the stratification of the formations which have furnished them, 

 I have had to confine myself to the use of the eighty-one European species repre- 



'P. cora extends into the Upper Carboniferous (Uralian) Series in Russia. 



fProdiif/iis undafits occurs in the Upper and Lower Limestone Series of Scotland 

 ^Visean. 



Jin regard to Spiriferina oc/oplicala. Davidson regards it as oonspecific with a 

 smaller form Sf>. crislahi in the Permian and accojits the former name. (Brit. Carb. 

 Kracli., 18(;3, p.2t>7). Later (Suppl., 1880, p. 2,58), he revives ocfoplicala as a varietal 

 name, and some modern British workers consider it as of specific value. Mr. Dun remarks : 

 (1902, p. 88) "it appears that the term ocloplicata is of more value from a stratigraphical 

 than from a palaeontolowiciil point of view." Recent British work shows how important 

 is the stratigraphical signifiance of this variety or species. 



§ Dr. Wheelton Hind, however, is of the opinion that the beds studied by Parsons 

 should be assigned to the Seinimila zone (4f)A). 



