COEALLIEEEOES SERIES OF SUJD. 



201 



Perezi, Ed. & H., from the rTummulitic of Nice, are also amongst the 

 rTari corals. Hence, out of the twenty species of fossil Corals in the 

 Xari series, one is found at a higher horizon, and one fourth of the 

 number are found in the Upper jSTummulitic and Oligocene deposits 

 of Europe. 



Taking the Ranikot, Khirthar, and rTari Coral-faunas as a 

 whole, there are 76 species of Corals in them and several varieties; 

 and of these 16 are identical with European forms which are found 

 in strata yielding Xummulites to the top of the Oligocene. There 

 are also eight species in the Sind series, closely allied to those of the 

 European fauna ; and whilst some species are common to the West- 

 Indian Eocene, an important genus is also common to both localities. 

 The absence of species passing up from one series to another is 

 very remarkable. 



The Gaj Series. — This series of strata contains a large number 

 of Corals in bands ; but although most of the forms are massive and 

 compound, and suited for reef-building, the majority are peduncu- 

 late instead of covering a large surface and incrusting. Some are 

 very massive ; and the presence of species of Madrepora, an essentially 

 reef-building genus, with Porites, Agaricia, Echinopora, Prionastrcea 

 Plesiastrcea, Brachyphyllia, Leptoria, and DasyphyUia would 

 indicate, at the present time, very active shallow-water coral- 

 growth. The majority of the Gaj genera still flourish ; and most 

 of those which are extinct had the structures requisite for reef- 

 building. The Astrteidas as a family preponderate, and simple 

 Corals are rare, in the collection. But although the facies of the 

 Gaj coral-fauna is very recent, and there are very few extinct 

 genera, still the modern Coral-fauna of the Eastern and Red Seas 

 is not represented by a single species. Two species are identical 

 with Miocene West-Indian forms : and one is found in the Xari series. 



It is interesting to find the West-Indian Miocene and recent genus 

 Antillia represented. jSTevertheless the evidence afforded by the 

 Corals is in favour of a mid-tertiary age being given to the 41 

 species from Gaj. 



In the communication to the ' Annals and Magazine of Natural 

 History' (1861, vol. xiii.) I described several species of fossil Corals 

 from unknown geological horizons in Sind ; and it is not difficult, 

 with the lists of the genera and species which have been collected 

 by the Geological Survey of India, to decide whence the majority 

 came. Thus Oculina halensis, nobis, Antillia dentata, nobis, An- 

 tillia ponderosa, Ed. & H., Cladocora Jiaimei, nobis, Hydnophora 

 rudis, H. plana, H. hemisphcerica, nobis, point, with Oyathoseris val- 

 mondoisiaca, Ed. & H., and Agaricia agaritites, Ed. & H., to a late 

 Miocene horizon. They were picked up in the neighbourhood of 

 Karachi, and doubtless came from the highest beds of the Gaj 

 series. 



Einally, many specimens of Isidinae have been found in the Gaj 

 series ; and some of them closely resemble modern forms. IsTo ISTum- 

 mulites occur in the Gaj series ; and the Zoantharian evidence indi- 

 cates a Miocene age, and not an early one. 



