182 Mr. P. M. Duncan on some Fossil Corals 
brown, base of joints (from the fourth) pallid. Thorax convex, 
but depressed near the hind margin ; lateral tubercle small, 
conical; colour above bright tawny, with six blackish-brown 
vittse ; sides ashy, with a broader and paler dusky stripe. Scu- 
tellum pale tawny ochreous. Elytra dilated a little behind the 
middle, depressed, and thickly punctured (except towards the 
apex), rusty tawny, with a few short ashy streaks and a number 
of dark-brown strigse a little behind the middle, the innermost 
of which runs near the suture to the apex : the basal half of the 
suture is broadly margined with dusky, and there is a short 
blackish stripe on each side near the scutellum, and a broad 
patch of similar hue beneath each shoulder, on the upper edge 
of which is an ashy streak, which continues in a curved line to 
the lateral margin, and then to the apex. Body beneath ashy ; 
sides of breast and abdomen dark brown. Legs reddish ; femora 
and tibise each with a blackish ring round the middle. 
I met with the female only of this remarkable species, which 
differs so much from the other Eudesmi in the shortness of the 
muzzle. If the male, when discovered, should be found not to 
possess the swollen third antennal joint, the species will have to 
be removed from this genus. It was found at Ega. 
[To be continued.] 
XXIII. — A Description of some Fossil Corals from the South 
Australian Tertiaries. By P. Martin Duncan, M.B. Lond., 
Sec. Geol. Soc. 
[Plate VIII.] 
The corals about to be described were derived from the same 
Tertiary beds which yielded the species noticed in the 'Annals' 
for Sept. 1864*. A new genus is represented by three well- 
marked species; the well-known genus Sphenotrochusf has two 
species in the collection ; and the genus Antillia J, which attains 
so great a development in the Nivaje shale of San Domingo, is 
represented by a very interesting new species. 
List of Species. 
1. Sphenotrochus australis, Woods & Duncan, sp. nov. 
2. emarciatus, sp. nov. 
* The Rev. J. Woods, who collected those formerly described, classes 
the various beds of Muddy Creek, Geelong, and the Murray beds as the 
" Hamilton " Tertiaries. I have to thank him for the specimens now 
determined and for others which require some further study before their 
publication. 
t Edwards and Haime, Hist. Nat. des Coralliaires, vol. ii. p. 65. 
X p. Martin Duncan, Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. Feb. 1864, p. 28. 
from the South Austntilian Tertiaries, 183 
3. Conosmilia elegans, gen. et sp. nov. 
4. anomala, gen. et sp. nov. 
5. striata, gen. et sp. nov. 
6. Antillia lens, sp. nov. 
1. Sphenotrochus australis^, n. sp. PI. VIII. fig. 1 a, b, c, d. 
The coral is very compressed, especially inferiorly, where on 
either side of the centre of the base a process passes downwards, 
giving a " fish-tail " appearance. At the calice the compression 
is less ; but the great axis is at least twice the length of the 
smaller. The coral is longer than its breadth. The costse are 
broad, somewhat wavy, and are separated by well-marked lines : 
those of the inferior appendages arise from the extremities of 
the processes, and pass upwards and inwards ; and the lateral 
costse, wavy below, become straight above. All are plain. The 
wall is much thicker at the ends of the long axis than elsewhere 
(in sections). The calice is not shallow, is elliptical, and pre- 
sents, deeply seated, a long lamellar columella, which is joined 
to the primary and secondary septa by processes. The septa 
are well developed and plain ; they are not exsert, but pass 
straight downwards and inwards towards the columella ; they do 
not correspond with the costse, but with the intervals between 
the costae, and they number thirty-two. There are three cycles, 
with the orders of a fourth, in two systems. 
Height ^ inch, breadth ^ inch; small diameter, halfway, 
Y^o inch, 
Hamilton, Victoria, South Australia. Coll. Geol. Soc. 
2. Sphenotrochus emarciatus, n. sp. PI. VIII. fig. 2 a, b, c, d. 
The coral is generally much compressed, especially inferiorly, 
where two lateral processes give a notched or emarciate appear- 
ance to the base. Superiorly the relation of the long to the 
short axis is at least 2 to 1. The coral is short and broad; the 
base is nearly as wide as the calice is long. The costse are large 
and plain, and are separated by well-marked lines : the costae of 
the appendices are the largest ; they pass upwards to the calice, 
and all are more or less wavy, the central widening out near the 
calicular margin. The calice is shallow and elliptical. The 
columella is not long, and, from being joined to the primary 
and secondary septa by processes which are rounded above, is 
confused in its appearance. The septa are in six systems of 
three cycles ; they are wider at the wall than elsewhere, are 
granular, and those of the third cycle are much smaller than 
* Mr. Woods gave the name ; but I have not had the opportunity of 
eing his MS. 
184 Mr. P. M. Duncan on some Fossil Corals 
the others. All the septa correspond to the depressions between 
the costse. 
Height ^ inch, breadth y^^ inch. 
Hamilton, Victoria, South Australia. Coll. Geol. Soc. 
CoNOSMiLiA, nov. gen. 
Coral simple, pedicellate, conical. Columella formed of one 
or more twisted himinje, which extend from the base upwards. 
Endotheca scantily developed. Septa apparently with simple 
margins, and variable in regard to the number of the primary. 
3. Conosmilia elcgans, n. sp. PI. VIII. fig. 3 a, b, c. 
The pedicel is large. The cosIjb, equal, sharp, and prominent 
at the base, become broad, flat, and granular above, where they 
are separated by very faint lines. The columella is formed by 
one twisted lamella, and occupies much space. The septa are 
in eight systems of three cycles. There are eight primary septa 
which reach the columella ; the secondary are smaller and reach 
midway; and the tertiary are very small. The septa are nearly 
plain, are as thick at the columella as at the cahcular margin, 
and appear to arise between the costa?. The calice is nearly 
circular. 
Height -fV inch; breadth of calice -y^o inch. 
Geelong, Victoria, South Australia. Coll. Geol. Soc. 
4. Conosmilia anomala, n. sp. PI. VIII. fig. 4 a-e. 
The coral is tall in relation to its small pedicellate base. The 
costse are not prominent, but are traced by the faint lines which 
separate them, and by the fine herring-bone pattern which marks 
each of them. The columella is large, strong, and consists of 
two twisted riband-shaped laminae. The septa are in eight sys- 
tems of three cycles; the laminaj are sparely granular, and the 
primary are attached to the columella by processes. The se- 
condary are smaller than the primary, and their inner edge is 
wavy; the tertiary septa are small. The septa arise between 
the costse. The endotheca is sparely developed. The wall is 
very thin. The calice is slightly elliptical. 
Height -jSo inch, greatest breadth -^-^- inch. 
Hamilton, Victoria, South Australia. Coll. Geol. Soc. 
5. Conosmilia striata, n, sp. PI. VIII. fig. 5 a-c. 
The coral has a very narrow base, and does not expand gra- 
dually. The costse are very broad, have marked lines between 
them, are very fiat, and have wavy transverse markings like 
those of a pellicular epitheca. Septa in six systems of three 
cycles; the primary, which are granular, reach the columella, 
from the South Australian Tertiarics. 185 
which appears to be formed by one twisted process. The septa 
arise between the costse. The caUce is more or less elhptical. 
Height -pV inch, greatest breadth -fV inch. 
Geelong, Victoria, South Australia. Coll. Geol. Soc. 
6. AntiUia lens, n. sp. PI. VIII. fig. 6 a-e. 
Coral in the shape of a cyclolite Fungia. The base is circular 
in outline, nearly fiat, the concavity being very slight. The 
epitheca is pellicular and faint. The costs; are seen as radiating 
flat elevations, those corresponding with the smallest septa 
being the smallest. The margin of the base presents slightly 
exsert, equal processes, which are the septa. The upper surface 
of the coral is convex and nearly hemispherical, the depression 
for a small essential columella, formed by processes from the 
base and septal ends, being slight. The septa are in six systems 
of four cycles ; the primary and secondary septa are equal, 
and the tertiary are nearly as large ; those of the fourth and 
fifth orders are somewhat less : all are very convex superiorly, 
and less so and nearly straight externally. The laminse are 
thin, and are very strongly marked by sharp ridges, which, 
radiating from the basal part of each septum, are more or less 
parallel, and give at the free margin a laterally dentate appear- 
ance. The appearance is less in the smaller septa. There is 
often a paliform process on the larger septa near the columella ; 
and the terminations of the ridges give the dentate character to 
the free margin of the septa. The endotheca is scanty, stout, 
and inclined. 
Kreadth -yV inch, height -p\ inch. 
Hamilton, Victoria, South Australia. Coll. Geol. Soc. 
Remarks on the new Genu^ and Species. 
There is much that is very interesting in these Australian 
forms ; they are so novel to those who are acquainted with the 
coral-fauna of the past in Europe and America, and moreover 
they present structural peculiarities which remove some broad 
lines of demarcation between some of the principal families in 
our classification. 
The new genus Conosmilia possesses the twisted riband-shaped 
columella of the subfamily Caryophyllaccse, the endotheca and 
septal margin of the Trochosmiliacca;, and the irregular septal 
arrangement which was so common in the corals of the Oolitic 
age, and which, from its octomeral type, reflected the rugosa of 
palaeozoic times. 
A simple conical coral with a twisted " serialaire " columella, 
an endotheca, and an octomeral arrangement of its septal sys- 
186 Mr. P. M. Duncan on some Fossil Corals. 
tems, is as abnormal as the Echidna hjstrix, as far as European 
classifications are concerned. The new genus must be placed in 
the neighbourhood of Axosmilia ; and it connects the families 
of the Turbinolides and the Astrseides. 
The connexion between the septal and costal arrangements in 
the species of the genus is very remarkable. The bases of the 
septa and of the costse are not continuous, but the septa appear 
to correspond with the line of depression between the costse. 
This is common in species of other genera in Australia, but is 
very rare indeed in any specimens from any other part of the 
world. It was noticed in the ^ Annals^ of September 1864 in 
Flabellum Victorice, nobis, and the arrangement is seen in the 
two species of Sphenotrochiis described in this communication. 
It gives a sort of Australian stamp to the corals. The costse 
are much broader than the septa ; and it will be observed that 
in Sphenotrochus emarciatus the line of depression between the 
costse is continuous with the line which separates the two laminae 
of which the septa are composed. The costse to the left and 
right of the depressed line give each a root to the septum. The 
species of the new genus are readily distinguished. 
The Sphenotrochi are at first sight not unlike well-known 
European older Pliocene and recent forms; but the emarciate 
base and appendages, with the direction of the plain costse, and 
the septal arrangements, distinguish the Australian species, and 
prevent their being confounded with the genus Platytrochus. 
The cyclolitoid Antillia is a most interesting species. The 
genus superseded Montlivaltia during the Miocene (it is a 
Montlivaltia with a well-formed columella); and it would appear 
that all the various forms of the elder genus are represented in 
the more modern. The tall cylindro-turbinate, the shorter, the 
forms with oval, elliptical, or circular calices, those with large 
bases and short or tall sides, and those with many or but few 
septa, amongst the Montlivaltia, are represented in the Miocene 
of San Domingo, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, and Siude by Antillia of 
corresponding shape. In the Hamilton Tertiaries the interesting 
cyclolitoid Montlivaltia of the Oolites have a representative in 
the Antillia lens. 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE VIIL 
Fig. \. Sphenotrochus australis: a, lower half, natural size; ft, part of 
calice and columella, magnified 4 dianis.; c, transverse section, 
magn. 4 diams. ; d, costse, magn. 2 diams. 
Fig. 2. Sphenotrochus emarciatus : «, nat.size; 6, side view, magn. 4 diams.; 
c, calice, magn. 6 diams.; d, continuation of septa and intercostal 
lines, magn. 6 diams. 
Fig. 3. Conosmilia elegans : a, nat. size ; b, side view, magn. 3 diams, ; 
c, calice, magn. 6 diams, 
Prof. F. M'Coy on the Australian Species 0/ Arripis. 187 
Fig. 4. Conosmilia anomala : a, nat. size ; b, columella, magn. 4 diams. ; 
c, costse, magnified 4 diams.; d, transverse section, magn. 4 diams. 
(one system is closed below by endotlieca) ; e, septum with endo- 
theca, magn. 4 diams. 
Fig. 5. Conosmilia striata : a, nat. size ; b, costae, magn. 6 diams. ; c, trans- 
verse section, magn. 6 diams. 
Fig. 6. Antillia lens : a, nat. size, view from above and side ; b, base, 
nat. size ; c, side view (part of), magn. 4 diams. ; d, base (part 
of), magn. 4 diams. ; e, septum, magn. 4 diams. 
XXIV. — Notes on the Australian Species o/Arripis. By Frede- 
rick M'CoY, Professor of Natural Science in the University 
of Melbourne, and Director of the National Museum at Mel- 
bourne. 
I FIND that nearly all the scales of the Victorian fishes of the 
genus Arripis have a more or less distinct fan-like structure of 
the base, from the supposed absence of which the genus was 
originally named. 
Having dissected a great number, I am sure there must be 
some mistake (probably a clerical error) in Dr. Giinther's state- 
ment that the pyloric appendages are from seventeen to fifty in 
number, as I find them always about one hundred and sixty. 
The Australian species to be found in ])ooks are Centropristes 
Georgianus (Cuv.), C. salar (Richardson), C. Tasmanicus 
(Homb.), C. truttaceus (Cuv.), Perca trutta (Cuv.), and probably 
Perca marginata (Cuv.). I have perfectly satisfied myself, from 
a laborious examination of a great number of fresh specimens, 
at dififerent seasons and of all ages, that the whole of these six 
supposed species should be reduced to one, and that the more 
important characters relied upon by Cuvier, Richardson, and 
Giinther are the peculiarities only of difierent ages of the fish. 
The adult form is the Centropristes [Arripis) Georgianus (Cuv.) 
and the C. Tasmanicus (Homb.). It reaches nearly 2 feet in 
length ; and, although abundant in the market, it is eaten with 
great hesitation, owing to the many cases (sometimes fatal) 
reported of poisonous effects produced on certain persons eating 
it, although others at the same table suffered comparatively 
little. It is the fish improperly called " Salmon^' by the colo- 
nists. It is of a nearly uniform pale olive-colour. Probably 
from having counted the fin-rays of so large a number of speci- 
mens, I am able to announce an extraordinary variation in this 
character: thus the pectorals vary from 14 to 16, the soft anals 
from 9 to 11, soft dorsals from 16 to 19. 
The young, up to about 10 or 11 inches in length, are com- 
monly supposed by the colonists to be a different fish, which 
they call " Salmon-trout " in the markets ; and they are the