85 



this organism belongs almost exclusively to it, and in sonic 

 places it is so abundant that it forma distinct layers. The bed 

 itself may be said to be composed of an irregular agglomera- 

 tion of shells bound up in a matrix of ferrugineous looking 

 mud. 



This substance is very fine and soft, and seems to have a 

 wonderful preservative property, for many of the shells in- 

 vested hy it have not only the fine enamel preserved but 

 in many cases the gelatinous ei»idermal membrane of a 

 species of Pecten (possibly P. coarctatiis ?), as perfect as 

 though it still contained the living animal. 



In this mud I have also found grit and rounded pebbles of 

 a yellowish quartz very abundant. The fine yellow muddy 

 substance is itself principally composed of the comminuted 

 remains of various species of foramiaiferte. Perfect forms of 

 the latter are, however, abundant, among which I have noticed 

 various species of RotaJia, MarginiiUna, and Textularia. I 

 intend, at some future time, to study these microscopic forms 

 more carefully. 



Although the exposed face of this shelly rock is extremely 

 hard, yet when masses of the rock are detached they are 

 found to be extremely friable, and with ordinary care the 

 most delicate shells may be easily extracted. Unfortunately 

 many of the latter are already so fractured in the rock that 

 when separated irom the matrix thoy fall to pieces. There 

 are numerous small caves hollowed out of this rock by the 

 waves of the sea at high tide — along the Sandstone Cave, and 

 it is from the roof of some of these caves that some of the 

 most interesting species of shells have been obtained. The 

 greater number of species have also been obtained from this 

 bed. As their number is so large I have prepared a complete 

 list in a tabular form in another place.''' It is only necessary 

 to state here the names of those species, which from their 

 extraordmary size and abundance, give a distinctive character 

 to this small but interesting division, viz. — 



■""Typhis m'coyi (Woods). 



Cyprea platypyga (M'Coy) Murex eyrei, Fnsus roblini. 

 *Spondylus. 



Cyprea platyrhynca (M'Coy) *Cassidana reticulospira, Pectun- 

 culus laticustatus (Lamarck j. 



Cyprea archeri (Woods), Cassis sutfiatus (Tenison- Woods), 

 Cucullea corioensis (M'Coy). 



Yohitaanticinguhita (M'Coy), Lyonsia agnewi (Tenison-Woods). 

 *Trivia em-opea, Voluta hannafordia (M'Coj^), Crassatella 

 oblonga (Tenis()n-^^'oods). 



* See Tabular List. 



