236 Geological Society. 



2. " Oa Fossil Chilostonaatous Bryozoa from Xow Zealand." By 

 Arthur Wm. Waters, Esq., F.G.S. 



The fossil Brj'ozoa described in the present paper are from the 

 localities of Petane, Waipukurau, Wanganui, and some simply 

 designated as from the neighbourhood of JS^apier. The first three 

 represent deposits of a well-known ix>sition, which was considered 

 Miocene by Tenison-Woods, but which Professor Hutton (Quart. 

 Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xli.) has more recently called Pliocene. Some 

 others, sent over as from " Whakati," are thought to be from 

 Waikato. 



The genus Memhranipora, which is largely represented from near 

 T^apier, is not one of the most useful palfeontologically, because the 

 shape of the opesial opening only, and not the oral, is preserved, 

 and also the appearance of the zooecia is often remarkably modified 

 by the ovicells, which, however, are frequently wanting, and in 

 many well-known sj>ecies have never been found. 



The Author pointed out that in the commoner and best-known 

 species cf Bryozoa the amount of variation is recognized as being 

 very great, and considered that in the face of this there is too great 

 a tendency to make new species on slight differences which may be 

 local variations, and that even in some cases instead of the descrip- 

 tion referring to a species, it may be that only a specimen has been 

 described. 



A list of New-Zealand Bryozoa has been drawn up by Professor 

 Hutton, and our knowledge of the New-Zealand and Australian 

 Bryozoa is being constantly increased by MacGillivray, Hincks, and 

 others ; nevertheless enough is not yet known to fix the exact age 

 by means of the Bryozoa alone, but the large number of species 

 entirely identical with those living in the neighbouring seas, and 

 the general character of the others, show that the deposits must 

 certainly be considered as of comparatively recent date. 



Out of the 78 species or varieties, 01 are known living, 29 of these 

 from New-Zealand seas, 48 from either New-Zealand or Australian 

 waters, and 28 have been found fossil in Australia, Judging from 

 these alone, it would seem that some authors have assigned too 

 remote an age to the deposits. The new forms described were : — 



Porina grandipora. 



Lepralia seniiluna, rar. simplex. 



bistata. 



Schizoporella cinctipora, var. per- 

 sonata. 



tuberosa, Tar. angustata. 



Cellepora dccepta. 

 , sp. 



Membranipora occultata. 

 Monoporella capensis, var. dentata. 



waipukurensi!;. 



Micropora variperforata. 

 Mucronella tricuspie, var. waipuku- 

 reiisis. 



, var. minima. 



firraata. 



December 15, 1886.— Prof. J. AV. Judd, F.K.S., 

 President, in the Chair. 

 The following communications were read : — 

 1. " Notes on Nummulites eleqans, Sow., and other English Num- 

 mulites." By Prof. T. Eupert Jones, F.R.S., F.G.S. 



The Author finds in the " Sowerby Collection," now in the British 



