REGION OF WEEDS EQUIVALENT TO THE LAMINARIAN REGION OF THE EUROPEAN SEAS.

Some seventeen or eighteen localities in this Bathymetrical province were explored by means of the dredge, varying in depth from one to seventeen fathoms.  In the south-east Australian province the principal Gasteropoda procured were Bulla brevis, at Port Jackson, in 6 fathoms; Cyprea oryza, at Port Phillip, in 5 fathoms; Calyptraea connata, in 6 fathoms, Port Jackson, with Nassa suturalis, and another, a new Terebra, Monotigma casta, Mitra sordida, a Marginella, a Columbella, and Struthiolaria oblita.  A Phasianella was dredged in from 3 to 5 fathoms on sandy mud, at Port Phillip, with Elenchus rutilus, Marginella fornicata, and Cerithium granarium.  In the North-east Australian province, a different set of shells was dredged in similar depths, such as a Sigaretus, possibly new, Fissurella calyculata, Mitra obeliscus, a Turritella, a Murex, Columbella versicolor, and a new species off Cape York, Ranella pulchella, new, several Nassae, Phos senticosa and blainvillei, and sculptilis, in 3 and 5 fathoms, off Cape York; Strombus campbelli, in mud off Cape Upstart; Cerithium obeliscus, and a new species of the genus Obeliscus.  In the deeper localities Cypraea fimbriata occurred, dead, off Cape Capricorn; and two species of Ranella, one being R. pusilla, in 17 fathoms, off the Percy Isles.  The univalves dredged among the Louisiade Islands in this region of depth were mostly known forms, such as Conus betulinus, Oliva sanguinolenta, Mitra exasperata, Terebra maculata, consors and labiata; these were all taken in less than six fathoms water.

The bivalves of this region were but few.  In the South Australian province species of Mactra, Psammobia, Venus, Tapes and Pecten, all peculiar, were taken.  This is the region of the peculiar genus Myadora, of which five species were dredged on sand in 6 fathoms at Port Jackson, along with Myochama anomioides, Trigonia margaritacea, Lima bullata, and Cardium radiatum.  In the North-east Australian province we have species of Donax, Mactra and Corbula, all apparently new, from the shallower localities; Corbula tunicata, Pectunculus tenuicostatus, and another, from 8 to 11 fathoms, off Cumberland Islands; species of Arca, Pectunculus, Avicula, Pecten, Venus, Circe, Cardium, Cardita, and Erycina, mostly new, from 15 to 17 fathoms in a sandy and shelly bottom off Cape Capricorn.

CORALLINE ZONE.

Some dredgings in both North and South-eastern provinces, in depths between twenty-seven and forty-five fathoms, give a slight idea of the fauna of this important region.  In the South-eastern province we find in forty and forty-five fathoms on a muddy bottom in Bass Strait, Turritella sinuata, Trochus nebulosus, a Pleurotoma, an Emarginula, a Dentalium, two species of Cardita, a Cypricardia, a Venus, a Nucula, and Pectunculus holosericeus.  In the North-eastern province we find off Cumberland Island in 27 fathoms, also on a muddy bottom, species of Murex, Nassa, Turritella, Ranella pusilla, a Fusus, Cancellaria antiquata, a Terebra, two Dentalia, a Natica, a Terebellum, a Scalaria, a Cardium, a Venus, a Nucula, a Pecten, and a Spondylus.