uf the Inferior Oolite. \ l.'i 



the lower part, and into brownish or foxy-coloured micaceous 

 sandstones in the upper part, so that the whole nearly resembles 

 the Cotteswold Sands, and differs chiefly in its greater compact- 

 ness. Fossils are distributed very sparingly throughout the 

 mass of the sandstones, but they are present more abundantly, 

 as in the Cotteswolds, in two calcareo- argillaceous zones, situated 

 in like manner, the one at the top, the other near to the base of 

 the scries. The lower fossiliferous zone is a dark grey concre- 

 tionary band of rock crowded with valves of Linyula Beanii; in 

 smaller numbers &reOrbicula reflexa, Vermetus concinnus, Avicula 

 inaquivalvis ? and another Avicula, a small smooth Pecten, Ceri- 

 thium, &c. Belemnites are not uncommon, but Ammonites are 

 rare, and are obtained singly and at intervals throughout the 

 sandstones ; these are, A. variabilis, var. Beanii, A. striatulus, 

 and A. Aalensis; the latter form has not been observed in the 

 Cotteswolds, but occurs in the same stage (Lias Zeta of Quen- 

 stedt) in the Jura. Vermetus concinnus occurs at intervals 

 throughout the sandstones in small groups, and usually isolated. 

 Tlu- dark grey colour of the lower beds of sandstone changes 

 upwards to a foxy hue, and at the summit is the upper fossili- 

 ferous zone, from 14 to 18 inches thick, concretionary and 

 dark-coloured ; altogether it nearly resembles the Cotteswold bed 

 at Haresfield Hill, with Cephalopoda. In like manner, each 

 abounds with a Terebratula, which is its predominating fossil ; 

 the Yorkshire shell is the Tei-ebratula trilineata of Young and 

 Hi id, T. ovoides, Sow., a larger form than the subpunctata of 

 llarrsfield, but which very much resembles the latter shell when 

 collected indiscriminately at each locality, and without prefer- 

 ence to presumed typical forms : unfortunately, the Blue Wick 

 >|x rimens are more frequently compressed and distorted. Other 

 t ow| Is recognized are, Pleurotomaria subdecorata, D'Orb., which 

 also occurs at Nailsworth ; Belemnites compressus, B. irregularis, 

 and portions of Ammonites. Rhynclttmclla cynocephala has 

 occurred very rarely, and several specimens of R. bidens are also 

 recorded. The thick sandstones of the Dogger which overlie 

 this /one abound with small quartzose pebbles, which are never 



beneath the trilineata bed. 



In Gloucestershire, the lower zone at Brimscombe and Nails- 

 \\orth has produced the Liassic Orbicula reflexa, Aviculu in- 

 rnlris':, Lima Galathea, Ammonites Raquinianus, which 

 is the crassus of Phillips, and another tumid form whirh much 

 ubles it, and may be only a distinct variety. These have 

 not been found to pass into the upper zone; but the oolitic ele- 

 ment is fully represented in this lower zone by certain Conchi- 

 i i i, as Myoconcha crassa, Perna rugosa, Trigonia striata, r/i<>- 

 iiiilininju Jiiln-nla, Modioln ' ' 'miomya nngulifera, Mi/fifus 



