147 



ON SOME TERTIARY AUSTRALIAN POLYZOA. 



By Eey. J. E. Ten^iso:n^-Woods, E.Gr.S., P.L.S., Honorary 

 Member Eoyal Society of N.S.W., Corr. Member Eoyal 

 Society of Tasmania^ aud Linn. Society of N.S.TV. 



[Bead before the Moyal Society of N.S.W., 4 Odtoler, 1876.] 



The following fossils were, witli one exception, derived from 

 the Mount Grambier polyzoan limestones, S. Australia. Tliey 

 correspond witli tbe Middle Cainozoic, and while showing a 

 tertiary facies are very distinct from the existing fauna, which is 

 the more remarkable as polyzoa generally have a large chrono- 

 logical range. 



The fossil polyzoa of Australia have scarcely attracted any 

 attention from naturalists ; the only description known to me 

 being that of Professor Busk, in the G-eological Society's Journal, 

 1859, and a paper by myself in the Proc, E-oyal Society, 

 Victoria, for 1862, The field is therefore almost an untrodden 

 one. The corals (Alcyonaria, &c.) have been more fortunate, and, 

 thanks to the zeal and industry of the learned President of the 

 G-eological Society, Dr. Duncan, all the known Australian ter- 

 tiary corals have been described. 



ESCHAEA CATEKI^OSA, U.S. Eig. I. 



Polyzoary, pedunculate, palmate ; cells deeply immersed and 

 concave, with a raised margin, aperture very large and round, 

 sloping towards sides, giving a hood-like appearance in front, 

 two large raised pores at base of each side of cell, others, how- 

 ever, when worn, have one large opening. Mount Gambler ) rare. 



EscHAEA POEEECTA, n.s. Eig. II, fig. Ill, single cell highly 



magnified. 



Polyzoary,pedunculate, palmate ; cells immersed, very long and 

 slightly lozQnge-shaped mouth raised towards summit, circular, 

 slightly notched in front, with a sessile avicularium pore imme- 

 diately below, another pore with a long channelled openijig about 

 the middle of the cell, the rest of the surface of which is 

 irregularly reticulated with openings. Mount Gambler ; rare. 

 Q 



