INTRODUCTION. 
The Aviculopectinidao of the Cariioniferous System of New South Wales are 
rare, having l)ecn found in only a few localities. They are all small, and are 
closely allied to European and American forms. On the other hand, one of 
the most striking features of the fauna of the Ecrmo-Carhonifcrous Marim; 
beds of New South Wales, and in fact of Eastern Australia, is the variety 
and large size of t!ie Pcctinoid shells, one very noticeahlc fact being 
the apparent isolation of typos displayed by these genera. The Australian 
members seem to show little or no affinity to tliose recorded from other parts 
of the world. There are no species common to the Carboniferous and 
Permo-Carboniferous in this State; and as regards affinities with extra 
Australian species, in the case of the Carboniferous forms only two identical 
with foreign species have passed through our hands, and no instances of 
close sjTecific resemblance in the case of Permo-Carboniferous forms have 
been noticed. 
These striking fossils soon attracted the attention of the earlier 
workers on Australian PalcContology. 
Professor John Morris in 1845 described^ : — 
Professor J. E. Dana, in the “American Journal of Hcicncc,” and in 
Vol. X of the Peport on the “ W^ilkes Exploring Expedition ” in 1849, 
described from New South lAales^ : — 
* Strzelecki’s Phys. Descr. N. S. Wales and V. D. Laud (8vo. London, 1815), pp. 277-278. 
^ Ain. Jouni. Sci., 1847, IV' (2), p. 100; Wilkes U. S. E.xplor. E.xped., 1838-42 [1849], X, Gool. , 
pp. 704-705, t. 9, f. 5-9. 
,, Eittoni, -from Tasmania. 
,, squamuliferus, ) 
,, illawarreusis, from New South Whales. 
Pecten comptus, Dana. 
,, leniusculiis, ,, 
,, tenuicollis, ,, 
,, mitis, ,, 
,, illawarreusis, Morris, 
,, squamuliferus, ,, 
