Carboniferous Foraminifera. By Bev. W. Soivchin. 545 



(or chambers) as in P. Bradtjana, and it seems probable that the 

 palaeozoic form has its nearest relationship with this interesting 

 but extremely rare species of the present day. The recent species 

 combines the twofold plan of growth, of semi-annular, crescentic seg- 

 ments in the early whorls, with a true spiral form of chamber in 

 the later whorls. From a careful examination of several transparent 

 sections of the test of P. Bradyana I cannot satisfy myself that it 

 conforms to the normal type, with respect to an alternating series of 

 semi-annular segments, but appears to exhibit the generic characters 

 under the simplest possible form, that of a non-segmented spiral 

 chamber with the spire drawn out from the primordial plane to that 

 of an elongated cone. Its spiral growth gives it a likeness to P. Coohi, 

 although wanting the subdivision of chambers seen in that species. 

 The bridging of the lines of depression by shelly matter, between the 

 raised sutures on the external surface, may have been the foreshadow- 

 ing of that inodification of the type which, in later ages, became more 

 definite in the subdivision of the chamber cavities. The chief varia- 

 tions to which the Carboniferous form is subject are in the height of 

 the spire, the occasional irregularities of the limbate outlines of the 

 chamber walls — the latter, at times, being subject to interruption or 

 coalescence — or an abnormal constriction or inflation of the test at some 

 stage of its growth, producing more or less distortion of outline. The 

 umbilical region is filled with calcareous shell-substance which in 

 section has a mottled appearance, but is unsegmented. The only 

 species with which Patellina Bradyana is likely to be confounded in 

 Carboniferous material are Valvulina palmotrochus or V. Youngi, but 

 P. Bradyana has a shorter transverse diameter in comparison with its 

 length than either of these forms, its numerous limbate sutures are 

 also distinctive, whilst the respective apertures and internal structures 

 are widely different. 



As the most striking addition to our knowledge of Carboniferous 

 Foraminifera, I have much gratification in associating with the species 

 the name of Mr. H. B. Brady, to whose researches we are indebted for 

 the first systematic treatment of this group of palaeozoic fossils. 



Distribution. — Only known from the "D" Limestone of the 

 Tipalt and Cowburn outcrops. 



"With this species I may fitly conclude my notes. In the present 

 series details have been given of four genera and of thirteen species 

 and varieties not previously known as Carboniferous fossils, some of 

 them of peculiar interest. As has already been stated I have still a 

 number of specimens which appear to me to belong to the Foramini- 

 fera, and if so to types hitherto undescribed, but these I withhold for 

 the moment in the hope of obtaining further evidence respecting 

 them. 



Adelaide, South Atjstkalia, 

 August 1887. 



