38 Mr. R. Howse on the Permian System of the 



The incoherent yellow sand is present at almost all places 

 along the escarpment of the limestone, but it varies considerably in 

 thickness. It is very coarse and gritty, with strong lines of false 

 bedding; and from its variable thickness within short distances, 

 the superior magnesian limestone must be unconformable to it. 



The Red Sandstone, usually pointed out as the equivalent of the 

 Roth-liegende, contains at Tynemouth and other localities an 

 assemblage of genuine coal-measure fossils. During the last 

 summer we obtained from the cuttings made for the new pier at 

 Tynemouth the following species : viz. Pinites Brandlingi, Tri- 

 gonocarpon Noggerathiy Sigillaria reniformis, Lepidodendron, 

 sp. indet., Calamites approximatus, Calamites inaqualis ? ; and in 

 the shale immediately connected with the sandstone, Neuropteris 

 gigantetty Sphenopteris latifolia, Cyclopteris dilatata, &c. The 

 spine of Gyracanthus foi^mosus has been found in the same bed 

 near South Shields. In consequence of the presence of so 

 many genuine coal-plants in this bed, its conformity to the coal- 

 measures, and the apparent want of conformity between the 

 incoherent sand and the superior limestone, we propose that these 

 beds may for the future be considered true coal-measures, and 

 the uppermost members of the Carboniferous System. 



In the above divisions, the names given originally by Prof. 

 Sedgwick have been adopted as far as possible. The terms 

 Pseudo-hrecciated, Brecciated, and Cr-ystalline, are not admissible 

 as divisional names. The former is the Concretionary limestone 

 (Sedgw.), which is a more correct epithet than the proposed new 

 name. The Breccia is too subordinate in the series to require a 

 particular name, and the limestones of this series are all too 

 crystalline to admit of this word as a distinctive term. 



The following Table will give a pretty correct idea of the dis- 

 tribution of the Molluscan Fauna of the Permian System. The 

 Brachiopoda are limited to the lower portions of the series, — to 

 the marl-slate, compact limestone, and shell-limestone. There 

 is no authenticated instance of the occurrence of a Brachiopod in 

 the breccia or above it. The greatest number of Gasteropods 

 are found in the middle division, the shell-limestone. Four 

 species of Conchifera appear to be common to the whole limestone 

 series : viz. Myoconcha costata, Brown ; Aa^inus obscurus, Sow. ; 

 Myalina squamosa, Sow. ; and Leda Vintij King. 



The works principally referred to in the following Table were 

 published at the time mentioned below : viz. 



*Die Versteinevungen,' April 1848. 

 'Trans. Tyneside N. F. C Aug. 10th, 1848. 

 *A Cat. of Org. Rem.' Aug. IJHh, 1848. 

 * Mon. Perm. Foss.' 1850. 



