218 Dr. H. A. Nicholson and Mr. R. Etheridge, Jim., on 



by one of us* to possess strong Permo-Carboniferous affini- 

 ties. The Fanning-River Limestone has in the same manner 

 been shown to be of Devonian age, by means of the Mollusca 

 there associated with the corals. The age of the Arthur's- 

 Creek Limestone, a new locality, will be commented on at 

 the close of this paper. 



3. Lithological Characters of the Specimens. 



We are indebted to our friend Mr. T. Davies, F.G.S., of 

 the British Museum, for the following notes on the litho- 

 logical characters of some of the matrices containing certain 

 of the corals about to be described. 



The fossiliferous rock of Coral Creek consists of an ochreous, 

 concretionary or nodular ironstone, resembling, in a remark- 

 able degree, some forms of bog-iron-orc. In this, in addition 

 to a copious molluscan fauna, occurs Stenopora Jackii (nobis). 

 Other nodules occur associated with this, formed of detrital 

 matter, which varies according to the derivative rock, in some 

 eases being more felspathic and quartzose with scales of mica, 

 suggesting a gneissic or granitic rock as the source. These 

 nodules contain Stenopora ovata, Lonsdale, in abundance. 



The fossiliferous rock of the Gympie gold-field, containing 

 many fossil Spiriferw, Stenopora? sp., &c, is of aqueous 

 origin, and consists of the detritus of preexisting metamorphic 

 shales and limestones. Large angular and subangular frag- 

 ments of a fine-grained chloritic slate occur in a conglomerate 

 of small oval pebbles of limestone, dolomitic limestone, and a 

 siliceous rock. The cementing material consists of the fine- 

 grained comminuted detritus of chloritic schist. Chlorite 

 alone occurs as an incrustation on the contained fossils, more 

 especially upon the remains of the Mollusca. 



4. Descriptions of the Sptecies. 

 Spongida (Stromatoporoidea) . 



Before proceeding to a detailed description of the corals, avc 

 may mention the presence of the genera Slromatopora and 

 Caunopora in the Queensland limestones —a fact not hitherto 

 recorded, so far as we are aware. 



Stromatopora occurs amongst Mr. Daintree's fossils from 

 the Broken -River Limestone, but in so highly silicified a 

 state that we have not been able to make a satisfactory 

 examination of the specimen. Another example has been 

 forwarded by Mr. J ack from the Arthur's-Creek limestone, 



* In a paper lately read before the Geological Society of London. 



