ART. XIX.-Further Descriptions of the Tertiary Polyzoa of Victoria. -Part III.

BY C. M. MAPLESTONE.

(With Plates XVII. and XVIII.).

[Read 14th December, 1899.]

Bigemellaria pedunculata, McG. (Pl. XVII, Fig. 1).

Dr. MacGillivray states in his Monograph that none of his specimens of this species showed the upper termination of the zoarium. I have found a specimen showing it, but the lower portion is broken off.

The zoarium terminates with two zooecia, between which is a triangular area; a ridge on each side extends from the upper part of the thyrostome of one zooecium to that of the other, just below which, in the median line, is a small circular opening indicating that the zoarium, when perfect, consisted of internodes as in Cellaria, and that it was branched dichotomously.

Liriozoa laevigata, Waters, sp. (Pl. XVII, Fig. 2).

I have found many specimens of this species of which Dr. MacGillivray found only two, and while his figure is much better than that of Mr. Waters in Q.J.G.S., 1882, pl xii., it does not show any perforations in the wall of the zooecia nor does he mention them in his description. Mr. Waters describes the zooecia as "coarsely punctate," but also says "dorsal and anterior surface smooth." Some of my specimens are perfectly smooth, without any perforations and agree with Dr. MacGillivray's description and figures. Others have a few scattered perforations (or rather minute circular depressions, as they do not extend far down in the cell wall) over the zooecia with two rows of perforations on the back of the central zooecium, but, I have met with none that I would call "coarsely punctate."

Calwellia otwayensis, n. sp. (Pl. XVII, Fig. 3).

Zoarium phytoid, dichotomously branching. Zooecia infundibuliform, in pairs, back to back, each pair facing at right angles to the adjoining pairs. Thyrostome horizontal, semi-elliptical; peristome irregularly projecting outwards; occasionally a small oval sessile avicularium on the inner edge of the peristome having a triangular mandibular cavity separated by a bar from a small semi-circular area; a few pores on the inner edge of the zooecia, also on the tubular prolongation.

Locality-Aire River, Cape Otway. (Messrs. Hall and Pritchard).

This genus has not been found fossil before.

Fig. 3b is drawn from a fragment and shows the upper part of two zooecia seen from above; there are two perforations, indicating the position of avicularia.

Fig. 3c shows a perfect avicularium with the cross-bar.

Cellularia triangulata, n. sp. (Pl. XVII, Fig. 4).

Zoarium continuous. Zooecia biserial, somewhat turbinate. Aperture oval, occupying about two-thirds of the area of the zooecium; margin thickened; a sessile avicularium below the aperture with an acute mandible opening upwards and inwards; there are indications of a marginal spine on the exterior side of the zooecia near the top. Dorsal surface of the zoarium. very smooth, elevated longitudinally into a prominent ridge, making the zoarium triangular in section; zooecia totally undefined.

Locality. - Bairnsdale. (J. Dennant).

A single specimen. I am doubtful whether this should be referred to Cellularia or Menipea, as the species of the former genus are without avicularia as a rule, and those of the latter have marginal avicularia which this species has not, but, I think, considering the zoarial character it had better be placed in Cellularia at present.

Scrupocellaria glomerata, n. sp. (Pl. XVII, Fig. 5).

Zooecia quadriserial elongate, marginal ones somewhat pyriform, in front; aperture elongate with a broad granular margin sloping inwards, sometimes slightly constricted near the upper part; a sessile avicularium, with a small subcircular mandibular area, below the aperture. Dorsal surface shows the backs of only two rows of zooecia (the marginal), which are so much broader than the front that they meet in the centre, the central zooecia must consequently be smaller than the marginal and heaped up; a vibraculum at the base of each (marginal) zooecium.

Locality. - Mitchell River. (J. Dennant). A single specimen only.

Amastigia acuminata, n. sp. (Pl. XVII, Fig. 6).

Zooecia biserial, alternate; outer angle produced into a long conical spine; aperture oval, almost covered with a pedunculate, broadly spatulate scutum. The dorsal surface has a narrow median ridge, the upper and lower boundaries of the zooecia are defined by a linear depression; an avicularium, with an acute mandible pointing downwards on each zooecium.

Locality. - Moorabool. (T. S. Hall). A single specimen.

Caberea morningtoniensis, n. sp. (Pl. XVII, Fig. 7).

Zooecia tri- or quadri-serial, elongate; aperture occupying a little more than half the surface, elongated, oval, slightly constricted near the upper part; margin granulated; two spines, on each side above the constriction; two sessile avicularia below the aperture, and a small sessile avicularium on the upper and outer angle of the marginal zooecia. Ooecia mitriform, convex, smooth; a sessile avicularium with long triangular mandible on each side above.

Locality - Mornington. (T. S. Hall).

This differs from C. grandis in that it has two spines on each side of the marginal and central zooecia, that species having only ,one on each side of the central zooecia, and two on the internal, and one on the external angle of the marginal zooecia; the avicularia are larger, especially those above the ooecia, and the ooecia have no thickened rim.

Menipea retroversa, n. sp. (Pl. XVII, Fig. 8).

Zoarium continuous, dichotomously branched. Zooecia biserial, elongate, slightly narrowed below; aperture oval, occupying about two-thirds of front; a small round avicularium below aperture; lateral avicularia facing backwards with mandible pointing upwards. Dorsal surface smooth; zooecia distinct, a narrow ridge dividing them longitudinally.

Locality - Spring Creek. (T. S. Hall).

A single specimen. It is almost diaphanous and is partially obscured by small fragments of matrix. The lateral avicularia are peculiar in that they face backwards and can hardly be detected on the front view; their position, I think, precludes the idea of their being vibracula, therefore I refer the species to Menipea.

Menipea bicellata, n. sp. (Pl. XVII, Fig. 9).

Zooecia in internodes of two only, broad above, attenuated below ; aperture sub-circular with broad plate slanting inwards on lower edge; four spines on upper margin; a small avicularium below the lower lip, sometimes absent; no lateral avicularia.

Locality. - Moorabool and Muddy Creek. (T. S. Hall).

Menipea biaviculata, n. sp. (Pl. XVII, Fig. 10).

Zoarium articulated (?). Zooecia biserial, elongate; aperture occupying two-thirds of the area; margin granular; a small lateral marginal avicularium on the upper and outer angle of the zooecia; a large avicularium on the margin near the base of the zooecia, on one side of the zoarium only. zooecia. defined on the dorsal surface.

Locality. - Aire River, Cape Otway. (Messrs. Hall and Pritchard).

I refer this to Menipea, but the large marginal avicularia on one of the two series of zooecia are very peculiar and more noticeable on the dorsal aspect. The zoarium is probably articulated as the structure of the upper part plainly indicates such, especially on the left hand side (in the figure).

Cellaria contigua, McG. (Pl. XVII, Fig. 11).

In some material from Muddy Creek I have found a specimen ,of this species in which there is an avicularian mandible in situ. As will be seen it is long, acute, slightly oblique, and extends beyond the avicularian chamber, of which one, without the mandible, from the same specimen, is drawn on the same scale.

Locality - MuddyCreek. (J. Dennant).

This is a most interesting specimen, as I am not aware that an avicularian mandible has ever been found preserved in fossils; the locality, some sixty miles from the sea, precludes the idea of its being a recent specimen, and besides it is not a recent species.

Cellaria ovicellosa, Stoliczka. (Pl. XVIII, Fig. 12).

I give a figure of this species as Stoliczka does not notice the margins of the zooecia, he only shows the raised area with smooth interspaces and speaks of the zooecia as "cellulis magnis distantibus;" his specimen was probably much worn, as the "natural size" figure shows it to have been a very small fragment. The margins are linear ridges but slightly elevated above the surface, and show the zooecia to be diamond shaped, or rather oval with pointed distal and proximal extremities.

The species which Mr. Waters identified with this has been renamed by Dr. MacGillivray C. laticella, and the figures given by both all show the raised portion of the zooecia as more or less pointed below, whereas in Stoliczka's figure of C. ovicellosa the proximal end has the same curve as the upper or distal part and it is consequently not oval, but elliptical as in the specimen I have figured.

Cellaria enormis, n. sp. (Pl. XVIII, Fig. 13).

Zoarium very robust, clavate. Zooecia very large, hexagonal with upper and lower ends truncated horizontally; margins raised; thyrostome arched above, straight below with two denticles on lower margin; avicularian cells larger and broader than the others, with the upper half of the margin curved; avicularian opening large, arched above, slightly concave below and a raised margin round it.

Locality. - Balcombe Bay, Mornington. (T. S. Hall).

This species is remarkable for the large size of the zoarium and zooecia and for the very large avicularia.

Cellaria crassimarginata, n. sp. (Pl. XVIII, Fig. 14).

Zoarium robust, oval in section, upper portion raised into two prominences from each of which an internode arises. Zooecia elongated, diamond shaped with slightly truncated distal and proximal extremities; margins raised; thyrostome subtriangular with a thickened peristome, lower lip incurved.

Locality. - Orphanage Hill, Geelong. (T. S. Hall).

This is a very peculiar species as the upper portion of the zoarium diverges into two elevations to each of which an internode is apparently attached and the peristome is thickened and raised above the surface of the zooecia. The two upper apertures may be avicularia, as they are not of the same shape as the thyrostome.

Cellaria depressa, n. sp. (Pl. XVIII, Fig. 15).

Zoarium. very robust. Zooecia diamond shaped (very slightly truncated horizontally) with linear raised margins, within which the surface of the zooecia is raised as a broad slightly convex ridge round the sides; middle of the zooecia depressed; whole surface granulated; thyrostome near the distal end, arched above, straight below, with two denticles in lower lip.

Locality. - Shelford. (T. S. Hall).

In the size of the zoarium and zooecia this is very similar to C. crassimarginata, but otherwise quite distinct.

Cellaria tumida, n. sp. (Pl. XVIII., Fig. 16).

Zoarium long and slender. Zcecia irregularly hexagonal, very tumid; margins invisible, deeply sunk; thyrostome in the centre of the zooecia, more or less crescentic, much depressed.

Locality - Mitchell River. (J. Dennant).

This is a very peculiar species, the tumid or swollen appearance of the zooecia being quite unlike any other; the portion of the internode found is very long in proportion to its diameter.

Bicellaria elongata, n. sp. (Pl. XVIII, Fig. 17).

Zooecia elongate, turbinate, much produced below; aperture ovoid, occupying about a third of the area; two spines at outer angles. Dorsal surface smooth, ventricose above; zooecia divided by a narrow longitudinal ridge.

Locality. - Mornington. (T. S. Hall).

The specimen is small, consisting of three zooecia only, but is in very good preservation save that the spines are broken off. The, dorsal surface of the ventricose portion of the topmost zooecium, is concave with a slightly thickened margin, part of which is seen through the aperture in the front view; this I think shows that it once bore an ooecium, which has been broken off. The zooecia are more closely connected than those of the recent species of Bicellaria, but I think there is no doubt it belongs to that genus.

EXPLANATION OF PLATES XVII. AND XVIII.

Comments
Fig. 1. - Bigemellaria pedunculata. Tetraplaria pedunculata
2. - Liriozoa laevigata (front aspect).
2a. - Liriozoa laevigata (dorsal aspect).
3. - Calwellia otwayensis. Palmicellaria otwayensis
3a. - Calwellia otwayensis (more highly magnified).
3b. - Calwellia otwayensis (upper part of two zooecia seen from above).
3c. - Calwellia otwayensis (thyrostome and avicularium).
4. - Cellularia triangulata.
4a. - Cellularia triangulata (more highly magnified).
5. - Scrupocellaria glomerata.
5a. - Scrupocellaria glomerata (dorsal surface).
6. - Amastigia acuminata.
6a. - Amastigia acuminata (dorsal surface).
7. - Caberea morningtoniensis.
7a. - Caberea morningtoniensis (more highly magnified).
8. - Menipea retroversa.
8a. - Menipea retroversa (dorsal surface).
9. - Menipea bicellata.
9a. - Menipea bicellata.
9b. - Menipea bicellata (dorsal surface).
10. - Menipea biaviculata.
10a. - Menipea biaviculata (dorsal surface).

 

 

Comments
Fig. 11. - Cellaria contigua (avicularian mandible). Cellaria contigua
11a. - Cellaria contigua (avicularian cell).
12. - Cellaria ovicellosa.
13. - Cellaria enormis.
14. - Cellaria crassimarginata.
15. - Cellaria depressa.
16. - Cellaria tumida.
17. - Bicellaria elongata.
17a. - Bicellaria elongata (dorsal surface).
 
 
 
 
 
 

Main List of References
Maplestone, C.M. 1900 - Further Descriptions of the Tertiary Polyzoa of Victoria, Part III. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria (new series), 12: 162-169.
Document modified 17th December 2000
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