CHAPTER XXXIX. 
PALEONTOLOGY OP BRITISH NEW GUINEA. 
As might Baturally be espeeted, but little is known of the Pala3ontology of New 
Guinea. The existence of fossiliferous Tertiary rocks was announced in 1876, by the late 
Mr. C. S. Wilkinson, who based his determination on a small collection made by the late 
Sir William Macleay, at Tulo Island, during the “ Chevert” Expedition. Post-Tertiary 
deposits were shown to exist by the late M. de Miklouho-AIaclay, on the Maclay coast ; 
and since then shells of the same age have been met with at the Aird Hills, Douglas 
River, by Mr. Theodore Sevan. 
Rocks of Mesozoic age exist in New Guinea, as evidenced by Ammonites brought 
from the Strickland River by the late Expedition of the Australian Geographical 
Society. Although these are only rolled specimens from the river-bed, they 
satisfactorily show the presence there of deposits of Oolite age, probably about the 
horizon of the uppermost Oolites. Lastly,* my Colleague’s Collection contains a few 
Tertiary Corals and Mollusca from Maiva, collected by Mr. E. Edelfelt. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIES. 
Kingdom — ANIMALIA. 
Sub-Kingdom — CCELENTERATA. 
Class — Actinozoa. 
The Collection of the Queensland Geological Survey has been enriched by 
the presentation of some hand specimens of a brownish-yellow marl, by Mr. E. 
Edelfelt, from New Guinea. This marl has plentifully scattered through it the 
remains of small shells in the form of casts and a few fragments of corals. The locality 
is Maiva Village, at a height of about two hundred feet above the sea-level. Although 
these fossils are very fragmentary, “ any Tertiary Marine remains from the Pacific are of 
high interest, because of their bearing on the coral reef theory.”t 
The most striking of the corals is a species of Alveopora, allied to those described 
by Dr. A, E. Reuss from the Tertiary Beds of the Tiji-Lanang Valley, Rongga District, 
Java.J The trabecular septa are strong and spine-like, much curved, and six or 
perhaps more in a cycle. They have this peculiarity, that they appear to be developed 
in pairs — a character to some extent seen in Reuss’ specimens, but in the present fossils 
carried to a much higher degree. The spurious columella formed by the union of the 
septa is of the slightest constimction. In the character of the septa this coral appears 
* Sir William MacGregor, Administrator of British New Guinea, has forwarded a collection of rolled 
coral specimens from the Fly River, evidentiy brought down the course of that stream from its upper 
sources, where, doubtless, the rocks from which these are derived are in piaoe. Many of the corals present 
excellent material for microscopic examination, but the absence of the necessary works of reference for their 
elaboration has so far prevented the Writer from progressing with the work. 
+ Tenison Woods, Vroc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, 1879, iv., p. 539. 
t Ueber fossile Korallen von des Insel .Java. Seise Osterr. Fretjatte Novara, 1857-59. Geol. Thiel, 
ii. Band, 2 Alth., p. 165, 
