ON ECHINOIDEA FROM THE AUSTRALIAN TEETIAEIES. 



411 



30. A Revision of the Echinoldea from the Australian Teetiaries,, 

 By Prof. P. Martin Dunoan, E.B.S., E.G.S., &c. (Eead 

 June 8, 1887.) 



In a communication to the Geological Society on the Echinodermata- 

 of the Australian Cainozoic deposits, which was printed in the 

 Quarterly Journal of the Society, 1877, vol. xxxiii. p, 42, a list of 

 the species of fossil Echinoidea which had been published up to that 

 date was given, and eleven new species were described. Since the 

 publication of that communication, there has been an important 

 addition made to the Australian Tertiary fauna by Prof. R. Tate, 

 E.G.S.*, who described Salenia tertiaria from the middle Tertiaries 

 of Alclinga, south of Adelaide. This author also mentioned the 

 occurrence of several genera which had not been considered to be 

 members of the Australian Echinoid fauna, but he did not describe 

 any of their species. Observations have been published upon the 

 very interesting Salenia by A. Agassiz f and myself J. The only 

 other communications on the subject of the Echinoidea have come 

 from Prof. M' Coy §, who introduced three species of Pericosmus and 

 a Clypeaster to the fauna, and, moreover, made some most valuable 

 criticisms upon the work of previous observers. He has had ex- 

 cellent specimens, the examination of which has thrown much light 

 upon some doubtful species |j. 



In spite of the comparative paucity of species in this fauna, it has 

 been very constantly before those palaeontologists who have studied 

 the other Echinoidean faunas of the East, and who have attempted 

 to comprehend the affinities of the ancient faunas and that of the 

 abyssal oceans. The extraordinary grouping of Cretaceous and 

 Tertiary, as well as of recent, types in the Australian deposits has 

 not been forgotten, although research amongst the fossil Echinoidea 

 of other parts of the world has diminished the intensity and value 

 of this peculiarity of the Australian Echinoid fauna, 



As it is necessary that some of the species of Echinoidea should 

 be revised, I have gone through the whole series, so as to leave as 

 little opportunity for erroneous conclusions as possible. It will be 

 found that some alterations are made which render the Cretaceous 

 alliances of the fauna rather more decided than hitherto ; but they 

 will not assist in the linking of the deep-sea Echinoid fauna directly 

 with the Cretaceous types. 



* R. Tate, Quart. Journ. G-eol. Soc. 1877, vol. xxxiii. p. 256. 



t A. Agassiz, ' Report Challenger Echini/ 1881, p. 51. 



% P. Martin Duncan, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 5, vol. ii. p. 61 (1878). 



§ F. M'Coy, Prodr. Pal. Yict. decades vii. (1879, 1882). 



I The excellent Catalogue of Australian Fossils compiled by R. Ethei'idge, 

 Esq., jun., and published by the Syndics of the University Press of Cam- 

 bridge in 1878, records most of the Echinoidea, and of course all which were 

 known to the author. For the list of Tertiary Echinoidea, see p. 138. 



