CORALLIPEROTJS SERIES OF SIXD. 



199 



tical and horizontal, is enormous, has several species in the Eanikot 

 group : and Astrocoenia ramosa, Sowerby, a Cretaceous type from the 

 Turanian of Gosau, found also in the Eocene of St. Bartholomew 

 in the West Indies, is present in Sind, and has the usual tuberose 

 branchlets so characteristic of the form. 



Large solitary Corals of the genus Montlivaltia abound, and also 

 a characteristic series of simple forms which I have had the oppor- 

 tunity of naming after Hr. Eedden, to whom the geology of Sind 

 owes so much. The genus Feddenia had its young forms growing 

 on small shells, which, with the growth of the base of the Coral, 

 were enclosed, and the Coral became free. This is not an unusual 

 habit in some two or three species of Corals of another family, 

 now living ; and an elongate base is produced. One of the 

 results of this change of condition was that the costae did not 

 radiate upwards from the peduncle, as is seen in the larger forms, 

 but from the whole length of the enclosing base. Another pecu- 

 liarity is that the epitheca is like a broken mosaic. 



There are three well-marked species of this genus ; and one has 

 two good varieties in the Eanikot series. It is near Montlivaltia as 

 a genus ; and, admitting the great variability of all simple or 

 solitary Corals, it is very possible that the unusual method of 

 early growth may have produced correlative changes in the general 

 shape and septal arrangement. The genus was restricted to this 

 Lower Eocene horizon. Amongst the great series of Eungidoe found 

 in the Eanikot group there are two European forms of Cyclolites ; 

 and the other seven species of the genus are well differentiated. 



Finally, the genus Stephanopliyllia, amongst the Eupsammineae, 

 ought to be represented, to give the full early Tertiary facies to 

 the Cyclolitic assemblage. SteplianopliyUa indica, from Jhirk, in 

 the Eanikot group, maintains the character of the genus for beauty, 

 and is an exquisite gem. Its affinities are rather with the Cre- 

 taceous species; and it differs but slightly from S. BoiverbanJci of 

 the Lower Chalk in its main characters, and from S. diseoides of 

 the London Clay more decidedly. Like most of the Eanikot corals, 

 the individuals of the new species began life by settling down on a 

 Kummulite ; this formed the permanent base of the coral ; and the 

 usual radiating costal arrangement of St&phanophyllia either does 

 not exist or cannot be seen for the l^ummulite. 



Khivthar Series. — Sixteen species of Corals were found in this 

 series ; but ten of them were taken from beds so high up that it 

 is not satisfactorily proved whether they are at the top of the 

 Khirthars, or form the base of the Ifari group, next in vertical 

 succession. By separating these ten species, an indubitable 

 Lower-Khirthar fauna is decided to have existed : its biological 

 conditions were unfavourable to vigorous coral-growth ; and there 

 were no littoral or reef-building forms. Erom the analogy of 

 recent forms, which are identical generically with those of the 

 Khirthar series, or whose shape resembles that of the ancient species, 

 a sea-floor at the depth of from 20 to 200 fathoms or more would 

 be indicated. 



r 2 



