44 Fossils collected at Wollumbilla. 



characterised from the present specimen, as all the posterior 

 portion of the guard is broken away. The occurrence of 

 several joints of the column of a true Pentacrinus in these 

 same rocks is also of high interest. The distinctly-marked 

 quinquepetalloid arrangement of the articulated crenulations 

 would of themselves have been sufficient, if we had only 

 this specimen, no bigger than a pea, to prove that the 

 deposits were not Palseozoic ; the articulating crenulations 

 in the pentagonal columns occurring in Palaeozoic rocks being 

 simply arranged in one series round the margin. The 

 general aspect or facies of the Serpulce, Brachiopoda, Limoe, 

 &c, is exactly that of those of the base of the Oolite and 

 Lias beds, while some of the Monotis recal the Saliferean 

 beds of Germany. 



Perhaps one of the most interesting points in my exami- 

 nation of these fosils is my detection of Professor Bronn's 

 genus Myaphoria (Nos. 23, 24, 29), so abundant in the 

 Muschelkalk of Germany, strengthening my general refer- 

 ence of the whole to the base of the Mesozoic series, as well 

 as suggesting for the rirst time the existence of the Mus- 

 chelkalk in Australia — the only European formation absent 

 in England. 



Three fossils, on the card maked 50 Mantuan Downs, sent 

 with the others, and having a Wollumbilla specimen gum- 

 med on it with them, are certainly of an older geological 

 epoch than any of the others on which I have remarked 

 above. They cannot belong to the same formation as the 

 other fossils with which they are mixed ; they are certainly 

 upper Palseozoic, and from their great resemblance to 

 common European Magnesian Limestone and Zechstein 

 species, enable me to suggest the existence of the Permian 

 system in Australia. 



LIST OF SPECIMENS FROM WOLLUMBILLA. 



*■ 



1. Gigantic Serpulce, resembling European Oolitic species; and Rhyncho- 



nellce, resembling R. quinqueplicata of tbe lower Oolite, and some 

 middle Lias forms. 



2. Pentacrinus of tbe true type, baving tbe petalloid arrangement of the 



articulating ridges, distinguisbing tbe Mesozoic and Cainozoic 

 Pentucrinites from tbe pentagonal crinoid stems of the Paheozoic 

 period. [No such form has ever occurred in a Palaeozoic deposit.] 



3. Various sections of shells not recognisable. 



