154 



vrere tlie points of attraction for the day. Sldrting their western side the 

 road to Sellers Hope does little more than mark the boundary of the two 

 formations, — Old Ked Sandstone, and Upper Silurian Kocks. There was 

 therefore plenty of opportunity for those disposed to find "faults" in the 

 outline to do so. The "Woolhope hills are fuU of faiilts, and it so happens 

 that they are very plentiful and conspicuous on the western side along 

 which the coaches were running. Mordiford presents one great "fault," but it 

 is only a specimen of many that cross from S.TV". to N.E., and slice up the 

 IJear-shaped mass into manageable portions. 



At Fownhope, and SoUers Hope, faults cross the oval. Between these 

 two places they run along the outline, and the effect of both sets, as was 

 jiointed out on the spot by Mr. Salter, has been so to shatter and bewilder the 

 strata on the western side, that they dip more sharply, and occupy much less 

 breadth than on the opposite side. 



The Lindels limestone quarry was first visited. It is solid lime- 

 stone for sis feet at the base, with bands of nodular limestone and shale 

 above ; from the top perhaps measuring twenty-six feet. Corals and 

 shells abound. Thirty or forty pairs of hands, and some of them with 

 hammers in them, soon gathered a heap. The corals were Favositcs, Cccnites, and 

 HelioVttes, two or three species of each, the latter especially being in beautiful 

 l^resei-vation, and almost hke living specimens. By the bye, it was observed that 

 the Blue Coral of Australia was hardly to be distinguished from this. Shells 

 were plentiful, almost all Brachiopoda, the tribe most abundant in Silm-ian 

 times. The Stro^ihomena dcpressa comes out entire in this prolific spot. 

 S. eucjlypTia is common, Spirife^ two or three kinds, Rhyndwnclla, and chief 

 of all, the vibiquitous Atrypa reticularis. This shell, named by Linneus, 

 occurs all over the world in Silurian Limestone ; at least it has been found 

 from China to the Rocky Blountains, and from Australia to the North Pole 

 — very perfect specimens were procured here of all of these. A few Trilobites, 

 chiefly Cali/mene BlumenbacJiii and Pluicopts caudatus — a worm tube or two — 

 and a great sponge ( Stromatopora), were also met with. One peculiarity was 

 noticed, the Limestone is largely pisolitic, like the beds of inferior Oolite. 

 Professor Phillips noticed this in the 'Wenlock Limestone of Malvern. 



The AjTnestrey Limestone is quite a different thing. Flat beds of hard 

 Limestone, with very little shale between, form a very solid rock. No wonder 

 therefore that the Eidgeway stands up so high. 



"Whilst the geologists were hammering away at the rocks, the botanists 

 had time to look .around them. The Dwarf Thistle, Cardans acaulis, was 

 found growing abundantly ; a vigoroiis plant of the Bear's Foot, or Fetid Helle- 

 bore, Helleborui fcctidm,' was observed ; the Chlora ])crfoliata, £upatoriitm 

 caiDiahinum, ChrysantJitmum segetum, Inula conyza, Lithospermum arvense, 

 and some other plants were also observed. 



