Vll 
ETTEI^ OF T r^ANSMITTAL. 
Department of Mines, 
Geologieal Survey Brandi, 
4 Eelirnary, 1891. 
Sir, 
I have the honor to transmit the accompanying Memoir, No. 6, of 
tlie F alcBontological Series of the Geological Survey of New South Wales, 
on the Carhoniferous and ]?er mo- Carboniferous Tnoertebrata of New South. 
Wales : Part I, Cmlenterata, hy Mr. Bohert Etheridge, J unr., Pahcon- 
tologist. 
The Palaeontology of the coal-hearing formations of N ew South lYales 
is a subject of much importance, not only from a purely scientific aspect, hut 
also as hearing upon the economic development of the greatest of the mineral 
resources of the Colony — Coal. It is witli this object in view that the atten- 
tion of the Palaeontologist has lieen primarily devoted to the subject. 
Previous palaeontological researches in this direction were largely based 
upon the fossils collected liy the late Ptev. "W. B. Clarke, M.A., E.ll.S. Tlie 
descriptions given in this Memoir are chiefly of specimens in the collections 
recently made liy the Officers of the Geological Survey, and now in the Mining 
and Geological Museum. These Departmental Collections are of special value 
for reference, not only because the Clarke Collections liave been lost in the 
Garden Palace fire, hut also as illustrating the life-history of the coal forma- 
tions in the Ilnnter Biver District, the survey of which Mr. T. "VY. E. 
David, B.A., E.G.S,, Geological Surveyor, is at present engaged upon. 
It is interesting to note that the Class Actinozoa herein described hy 
Mr. Etheridge shows a remarkable diminution in the Carhoniferous and 
Permo-Carboniferous times, as compared with its high state of development 
in the Siluro-Devonian Period. This may he due to the physical changes 
which took place at the close of the latter period in this portion of the globe, 
and of which we have evidence in the deposition of a considerable thickness 
of arenaceous beds upon the massive Siluro-Devonian coralline limestones of 
