200 



PKOF. P. M. DUNCAN ON THE 



The species belong to the genera TrocJiocyatJius, Leptocyailius, 

 Stylophora, Monilivaltia, Galamophyllia, and Astrocoenia. The 

 TrochoeyatJius is one of the discoid group, and the LeptocyatJius is 

 of course a low flat Coral. The Stylophora is a minute Coral ; and 

 so is the Astrocoenia. But the Monilivaltia is a finely grown form; 

 and so is the CalamopJiyllia. Of these, Stylophora contorta, 

 Leymerie, has also been found in the Eocene of the West Indies and 

 at La Palarea in Europe ; and Astrocoenia numisma, Defrance, sp., is 

 a Nuinmulitic form at Gap, in the district of Nice. This little 

 assemblage is thus clearly of Eocene age. No distinction can be 

 made between this and the preceding deposit, as regards age, from the 

 Corals. 



Now the ten species, the horizon of which may be of Upper 

 Khirthar or Lower Nari age, belong to genera whose morphology in- 

 dicates the presence of totally different physical conditions from those 

 which environed the stunted, simple, and the few large Corals of the 

 lower horizon. They were shallow- water and reef-building forms ; 

 and the genera are Stylina, Latimceandra, Hydnophora, Favia, 

 Isastrcea, Pterastrcea, Plesiastrwa, and Porites. There is not a simple 

 Coral amongst them ; and the facies is singularly mixed, old and new, 

 Mesozoic and Cainozoic genera existing together. 



The species Hydnophora maliriensis, nobis, is allied to H. venusta, 

 Catullo, of the European Nummulitic. Porites Pellegrinii, D'Achiardi, 

 is found inEurope at San Giovanni Ilarione; and Porte indicus, nobis, 

 is allied to a species from Crosara, Oberburg. The distinctness of 

 this fauna from that of the Ranikot group is evident enough ; but 

 it is still Nummulitic in facies and character. 



The Nari Series. — Erom the remarks already made upon the 

 localities of some of the presumed Khirthar Corals, it is as well to 

 admit that some upheaval took place at the close of that period, and 

 produced fringing-reef-building or bank conditions. But they did 

 not prevail throughout the accumulation of the whole of the Nari 

 series ; and it is somewhat remarkable that no species passes up 

 from the reef-building horizon into that of the Nari proper. 



The genera of the Nari group above the base, indicate rather 

 vigorous coral-growth, and both deep- and shallow- water conditions. 

 The genera TrochoeyatJius, Trochosmilia, Montlivaltia, Cycloseris, 

 and Cy otolites are the simple forms; and the vigorous compound 

 forms are included in the genera Dasyphyllia, BJiahdopJiyllia, Lep- 

 toria, Mceandrinct, and Prionastrcea. 



The Trochocyathi of the Nari series are remarkable for having 

 commenced their growth in a discoid shape. Some retained that 

 shape ; but one in particular, Trocliocyathus nariensis, nobis, grew 

 upwards from its disk-shaped base in a perfect cylinder, reaching 2 

 inches in height. 



TrochoeyatJius cyclolitoides, Ed. & H., is a widely distributed 

 European Eocene coral, and is found in the Nari series of Sind. 



Stylophora pulcTie-rrima, D'Achiardi, from the Eocene of Eriuli, 

 Trochosmilia varicosa, Eeuss, from Crosara, Stylocoenia taurinensis, 

 Ed. & H., from European Eocene and Miocene strata, and Gycloseris 



