POEAMINirERA OF THE KERIMBA AECHIPELAGO. 633 



Kerimba species, though it does not occur at many of the Stns. At those Stns. 

 at which it is found, however, it attains a size and development greatly in excess of 

 any specimens hitherto recorded, and constitutes one of the most beautiful objects 

 imaginable. It reaches its optimum development at Stns. 3 and 9, where every stage 

 of growth is represented, from the young regularly-textularian form to large fan-shaped 

 tests, presenting as many as five or six complete semi-annular chambers, without septal 

 divisions. At Stns. 1, 10, and 11 the species also occurs, but not in such abundance 

 or attaining such fine dimensions ; at Stu. 12 the species is represented by a single 

 young textularian form. 



Brady's figures do not do full justice to the method of growth: his fig. 17, re- 

 presenting the largest pavonine specimen, has not a single unseptate annular 

 chamber ; while fig. 18, which shows the unseptate type of chamber, does not assume 

 the pavonine form at all. In some of our specimens the arched non-septate chambers 

 commence immediately after the textularian series, and proceed at once to surround 

 the earlier portion, which is almost entirely enclosed by the later growth. The figure 

 by Mobius gives perhaps a better idea of the pavonine development of the shell; 

 d'Orbigny's original figure which shows the pavonine character very well does not 

 demonstrate the textularian growth at all. In the Kerimba specimens the earlier 

 portion of the shell is often very thick and dense compared with the later chambers, 

 and this appears to be due to layers of shell-substance deposited during the later 

 stages of growth ; there is a distinctly laminar structure in the apical portion when 

 the test is examined by transmitted light. 



The recurrence of this species in such a high state of perfection in these waters is 

 interesting. As Brady {loc. cit. supra) points out, d'Orbigny's original specimens 

 came from Madagascar, and then the species was lost sight of for more than fifty years, 

 when Brady found it again in material from Madagascar*, since when it has been 

 recorded from many localities in the Indian Ocean and tropical Pacific. It is clear 

 that in these waters the type is persistent, and, like many other of our recorded species 

 first found by d'Orbigny in material from Madagascar, is within a few years of its 

 centenary f . 



The species occurs very rarely in the fossil condition in the Australian Tertiary 

 beds of Muddy Creek, Victoria (Upper Eocene %). 



* This is Brady's account in FC. 1884, but in the preliminary papers, ut supra (RRC. 1879, etc.), he 

 stated that he had refound it in sand from the Seychelles dredged by E. P. Wright, and referred to AMNH. 

 ser. 4, vol. xix. p. 41 (not p. 105, as cited by Brady). It is probable that he fouud it at both localities 

 (see H.-A. & E. Proc. Zool. Soc. [Lond.] 1915, p. 296). 



t Some confusion has been introduced by Costa, who, in PUN. 1853, etc., 1856, states on p. 178 that 

 d'Orbigny found it at Madagascar, but on p. 180 that he found it at Cuba (obviously a slip of the pen), and 

 records a species Pavonina italica from the clays of Eeggio (Calabria), of which he gives a figure (pi. svi. 

 figs. 26-28) which represents clearly Orbiiolites tenuissima Carpenter ; this name should therefore lapse and 

 become Orbiiolites italica Costa. D'Orbigny in the Cuba Monograph (1839, FC. p. 25) merely refers to his 

 Madagascan specimens in his sketch of the classification of the Foraminifera. 



4u 2 



