Clifton College Scientific Society. 77 



is the more remarkable, when taken in connection with the abund- 

 ance of the carnivorous genera ; but the same answer can still be 

 returned, that the rocks in question were the deposits of a shallow 

 sea, while the cephalopods lived in deep water. An extremely 

 common fossil is the terebratula, of which there are several 

 species — one especially, Terebratula fimh'ia, is so abundant in a 

 stratum of the inferior oolite that it is called the fimbria bed, 

 consisting of marly rock and cream-coloured marls. Another 

 species, T. costata, is found quite separate, and the species are 

 seldom obtained together. Another remarkable species, T. 

 Digona', is obtained near Tetbury. At the base of Frocester 

 Hill, curious fossils are sometimes obtained — Rhynchonella Cynos- 

 cephala, so called from a rough resemblance to a dog's head. 



A family of univalves, the PatellidjE, much resembling the 

 modern limpet, has many representatives at Minchinhampton, — 

 the first species, P. Cingulata, being foimd near Brinscomb ; 

 a few specimens of the P. j^ciradocca, have been discovered 

 in the planking. Another rare one is the P. Sulcata. P. 

 striatula is found at times in the soft stone under the planking. 

 And so on for eleven or twelve species, some rare and some 

 common ; many confined to the planking, others distributed 

 through all the beds. But the commonest of them is the Patella 

 rugosa, which, when obtained south of Brinscomb valley, fully 

 deserves its name ; but north of the vale it loses much of its rough 

 aspect, caused by the lines of growth, the striae become faint, and 

 the shell extremely thin. The aspect of the shell varies consider- 

 ably, independent of the stages of growth, — some are more circular, 

 and then the apex is more in the centre and less curved forwards ; 

 in others, which are oval, this apex is more depressed. When 

 very young, the figure is more depressed, more oval, and nearly 

 smooth, with the apex much twisted. The largest specimen 

 ' known is 1^ inches long, 2^ inches broad, and 18 lines high. 

 Another family represented largely at Minchinhampton is the 

 Cylindritidse (order Opisthobraiichiata), of which I have obtained 

 one specimen of a rare species, which is not confined to any bed, 

 the Cylindrites cuspidatus. In this the shell is cylindrical, the 

 spire small, the last whorl rounded at the upper edge, which rises 

 as high as the one or two preceding ones, leaving their edges 

 exposed. 



The Ostrea acuminata is extremely abundant throughout the 

 strata, especially in the fuller' s-earth. 



Of the Lima impressa few specimens, except those of the 

 young, can be obtained perfect, most being extremely crushed ;* 



* I Imve been fortunate enough to obtain one specimen .almost perfect. 



