146 A. H. Foorcl — Western Australian Fossils. 



Locality. — Lyons Kiver, a tributary of the Gasooyne Kiver ; 

 Western Australia, 1 in a ferruginous and slightly micaceous sandstone. 



Spirifera Hakdmani, sp.nov. Plate VII. Figs. 1, la. 



This species is of large size, and probably a little wider than high. 

 The width of the hinge-area is a little less than that of the shell, 

 the cardinal angles projecting slightly beyond the former. The 

 cardinal angles are narrowly rounded. The hinge-area, as may be 

 seen in Fig. la, is not large. The ventral valve is divided into two 

 slightly rounded areas by a broad, rather shallow median sinus. 

 Three or four ill-defined folds occur on the flanks of the shell on 

 each side of the sinus. The shell is ornamented with numerous, 

 rather strong, radiating ribs or plications, some of which bifurcate 

 about midway between the umbo and the inferior border ; these are 

 intersected at intervals by lines of growth, and near the margin the 

 shell developes numerous concentric, scale-like, imbricating lamina?. 



In the interior of the ventral valve (Fig. la) a strong tooth is 

 situated on each side at the base of the fissure, but the shelly plates 

 supporting these are almost entirely destroyed, a portion of one 

 only (right-hand side of figure) being preserved. The remains of 

 a short septum are seen just beneath the beak. The impression of 

 the cardinal muscles is obliterated in the figured specimen, but it is 

 well seen in another fragment, less perfect in other respects. The 

 surface outside the muscular area is covered with ramifying vascular 

 impressions. 



It is. a singular fact that no remains of the dorsal valve of this 

 species have been found, though the fragments of the ventrals are 

 very numerous. 



In one of the plates of a forthcoming work on Queensland 

 Palaeontology, by Mr. Eobert Etheridge, jun., now of Sydney, New 

 South Wales, there is a fragment of a shell which is certainly 

 identical with the present species, with which it perfectly agrees. 

 In the explanation of the plates, communicated by Mr. Etheridge to 

 Dr. Henry Woodward, F.E.S., the fragment in question is designated 

 Spirifera trigonalis [Martin], var. crassa (Davidson), de Koninck ? 

 But the doubt expressed by the note of interrogation shows that the 

 suggested name for this fragment was only given tentatively. 



The occurrence of the present species in Queensland is interesting 

 as showing its tolerably wide geographical distribution. 



Spirifera Hardmani is one of the few species among the Kimberley 

 fossils which I am able to identify with some degree of certainty 

 with a Queensland form, a circumstance to be accounted for probably 

 by the fragmentary condition of the specimens hitherto obtained in 

 Queensland. 



The present species finds its nearest analogue in Spirifera cincta, 

 von Keyserling, 2 but it is clearly distinguished therefrom by its 



1 See a short paper by F. T. Gregory in Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. 1861, vol. xvii. 

 p. 475; also the paper by W. H. Hudleston, F.E.S., in the same Journal, 1883, 

 vol. xxsix. p. 582, already referred to. 



2 "Wissensch. Beobacht. auf einer Eeise in das Petschoialand im Jahre 1843, 



