634 



R. ETHERIDGE ON THE PALAEONTOLOGY OF THE 



I refer to the Devonian rock very closely resemble Tasmanian 

 species, and certainly have that facies. Dale Owen's specimens were 

 obtained from the Devonian of the Hamilton group, Iowa and Rock 

 Island, Illinois, lat. 41° and 42° N. Our specimens are from Ravine, 

 Dana Bay, lat. 82° 42', south of Cape Joseph Henry, and below the 

 Carboniferous Limestone of Feilden Isthmus. 



Spirifera Aldrichi, Eth. (PI. XXIX. fig. 2.) 



I cannot find any American or British Spirifera that will agree 

 with this single specimen, the nearest form I know being Sp. cul- 

 trijugata, Bom.*, a common species in the Devonian of South Corn- 

 wall, but usually found in a distorted and flattened condition. 



Sp. char. t Shell transversely semicircular, hinge-line as wide as 

 the shell, acute at extremities ; dorsal valve slightly convex, no 

 mesial fold or large central rib, seven or eight strong simple ribs on 

 either side of the central pair or on the lateral portions of the valve ; 

 ventral valve not seen, a cast of the mould indistinctly shows an 

 intermediate or intercalated slender rib (between the larger ones), 

 extending from the umbonal region to about halfway down the valve. 

 This character is not seen in Homer's species {Sp. cultrijugata) or in 

 Davidson's figure ; but this last distinguished Brachiopodist states 

 that he has a " specimen from the falls of Ohio (Louisville) with 

 small ribs, and in some places bifurcated." Our specimen is only a 

 cast, so that the intercostal or intercalated rib may be one of many 

 on a more perfect shell. Spirifera undifera, Rom., and its var. 

 midulata, also much resembles S. Aldrichi ; but the mesial fold is 

 more pronounced, and the intercostal or tuberculated rib is present 

 at the ventral instead of the dorsal portion of the shell. Concentric 

 ridges are not seen over our cast. I regret we have no better evi- 

 dence to go upon than our one shell. Something, however, must be 

 done with it, I name this shell after Lieut. Aldrich, to whose 

 labours and researches during the sledge-journey round the northern 

 coast of Grant Land we owe so much intimate knowledge of land 

 and ice. The privation and labour undergone in bringing home 

 such evidence, under such adverse circumstances, deserves to be 

 honourably recorded. 



hoc. Ravine, Dana Bay, lat. 82° 42'. 



Spirifera, sp., allied to S. granttlifera, Hall. 



Delthyris granidifera, Hall, Geol. Rep. Fourth District New York, 

 pp. 206, 207, f. 1. 



Sp. arcta, Hall, 10th Rep. State Cabinet, p. 161. 



Sp. granulifera, Hall, Pal. New York, pt. 4, vol. iv. p. 223, t. 36 

 &37. 



This species illustrates a series of forms subject to great variation, 

 both as regards general form and details of the ribs and mesial fold. 

 The curvature or incurvation of the beak I cannot determine, none 



* Eheinisch. Uebergangsgeb. p. 70, t. 4. f. 1. 



