Rocks of North Devon, 8fc. 125 



namely, Producta depressa, P. hcemhplierica, P. longispifia, 

 P. sulcata, P. anomala, P. sarciriulata, P. scabricula ; Spiri- 

 fera glabra and ohtiisa, S. atte?iuata, S. amhigua, S. reticulata, 

 S. decurrens, S. striatula ,- Terebrattda Mautice, T. platyloba, 

 T. plicatella, T. diodonta, T. affinis ; and the transition tracts 

 to which these are referred are, at home, Dudley, New- 

 ton Bushel, Plymouth, and South of Ireland ; and abroad, 

 Christiania, Gothland, Eifel, Coblentz, Bensberg, Blanken- 

 heim, Ems; and Catskill Mountains, Albany, and Trenton 

 Falls, in the State of New York. 



There is no gainsaying these facts, the lists having been 

 prepared with great care ; and I consider Mr. Murchison not 

 at all justified when he applies to this part of my memoir the 

 following remark : " Still less can we admit the validity of ar- 

 guments founded, either upon mere lists of fossils which may 

 have often been erroneously identified, or simply upon the 

 names attached to formations by geologists who have not stu- 

 died the whole sequence of the deposits in question." (p. 

 580.) 



With respect to the first part of this remark, bearing on 

 the identification of species, foreign naturalists may not re- 

 ceive it as any great compliment; but I confess I am not so 

 sceptical myself as to undervalue their discriminating powers; 

 at home, luckily, the identification will not be disputed, the 

 principal authority referred to being Mr. J. de C. Sowerby. 

 And with regard to the second part, relating to the formations 

 in which these fossils have been found, the best answer that 

 can be given is to point to the native and foreign localities 

 which I have already enumerated. 



I must also remark that Mr. Murchison does not correctly 

 state the case when he represents that some of the limestones 

 in the south of Ireland are loaded with carboniferous fossils. 

 The list given by me in §. 33. relates to the Cork great band 

 of limestone described in §. 29. Of all the other bands, those 

 described in §§. 22. to 28. inclusive, and in §§. 31. and 32. ex- 

 hibit organic exuviae very sparingly ; the principal being Cri- 

 noidal remains, a kvf Spirifene and Products (and among 

 these the Producta depressa), an Avicula, a Goniatite, and very 

 few Polyparia. But in the two bands of limestone, described 

 in §. 30., which are interstratified with and flank the interposed 

 mass of clayslate of which Rinniskiddy Hill mainly consists, 

 situated on the western side of the lower part of Cork har- 

 bour, fossils appear to be numerous ; but no one, I believe, 

 has hitherto given them that attention which they appear 

 well to deserve. I trust some competent geologist will take 

 the subject in hand. 



I must further observe, in reference to the last quoted re- 



