92 



trochus, and a very peculiarly branched Dendropbylla. 

 The Erachiopoda are abundant^ and tend to confirm 

 the evidence of the depth at which these beds were 

 deposited. Several new species are under the considera- 

 tion of Mr. Thomas Davidson — our greatest living 

 authority — and, doubtless, will soon be described. 



The Echinodermata are numerous and present some new 

 forms. They are all considerably distorted by pressure. 

 Nothing, however, of very great novelty has hitherto been 

 found, and all the species bear the strongest resemblance 

 to those of the Malta Miocene. 



Polyzoa are scarce, and in this respect the Table Cape 

 beds present a remarkable contrast to those of a similar 

 horizon in Australia. This is accounted for by the nature 

 of the beds which are composed of a levigated mud, 

 mingled with coarse pebbles of quartz and feldspar, and all 

 highly ferruginous. They were either derived from the 

 detritus of submarine craters, or the wearing down of 

 volcanic rocks in a sea, not tranquil, but containing strong 

 oceanic currents These conditions are very unfavourable 

 to the growth of polyzoa. 



Though some of the shells, as far as yet known, arc 

 peculiar to the Table Cape beds, and many of the corals ; 

 yet the majority of the fossils are identical Avith those of 

 the Australian so-called Miocene and undoubtedly be- 

 longing to the same sea. To show Avhat differences have 

 arisen since the period, I may mention that there is a 

 much closer resemblance between the fossils of Table Cape 

 and those of Southern Australia, than there is between the 

 shells found upon the same coasts now, that is to say, that 

 the two places had more species in common formerl}^ than 

 than they have now, and, though of course the differences 

 even now are not very great, yet they are more evident 

 than they were. It should be remarked, however, that 

 nuw the existing shells for comparison are littoral, but then 

 they were a continuous deep sea, and whereas we know the 

 littoral species, we do not know the deeper sea ones. 



It is certain that as we go back in geological periods Ave 

 find a greater similarity extending over wide spread areas, 

 until iu the eaily foimations, Avbere absolute identity is the 

 rule in the most remote parts of the earth's surface. Thus 

 the Devonian fossils of Tasmania are, with few exceptions, 

 specifically identical with those of Europe. Professor 



