251 



nnlbop^ Jlatttralists' SiM QEltib. 



Meeting, July 24TH, 1S60. 



LUDLOW FOR DOWNTON and LEINTWARDINE. 



The second Meeting of the present year took place at Ludlow on Tuesday, 

 the 24th July. Mr. R. W. Banks presided. Mr. Sparrow and Mr. Wyles, 

 Membeis of the Warwickshire Naturalists' Field Club, were in this party (thirteen 

 Members and six Visitors). The party were conveyed from Ludlow to Downton 

 Castle Inn, where the botanists and geologists separated to follow their researches 

 through the Downton Castle grounds in the localities which were most favourable 

 to their pursuits. 



The geologists, under the able guidance of Mr. Lightbody, after examining 

 a section of the Old Red on the left bank of the Teme, crossed the river at Forge 

 Bridge, and walked down the river for a short distance as far as Tin Mills, 

 to examine the Passage-Beds from the Ludlow Rocks into the Old Red. 



On the road a quarry of the Downton Sandstone was examined ; the beds 

 dipped at a sharp angle to the S.W. On one of the slabs of building stone 

 recently raised were found numerous portions of the remarkable crustaceans, 

 Pterygotus and Euryplerus, which form a distinguishing feature of these beds. 



Passing onwards, some olive -gray-coloured beds of Shale were examined, 

 which were considered to be identical with the Upper Passage-Beds in the railroad 

 cutting at Ludlow. These beds are on a lower le\-el than the beds of the quarry 

 before mentioned, and appear to graduate upwards into the Red Sandstone, 

 but no opportunity was afforded of ascertaining on what beds they repose. 



Their relative position to the Downton Sandstone here can only be reconciled 

 by the supposition of the occurrence of a fault and the upheaval of the Downton 

 beds, which were ascertained to lie conformably on the Upper Ludlow Rocks. 



The course of the party now was up the river through the beautiful and richly 

 wooded gorge of the Teme ; the picturesque rocks on either side of the river, 

 in many places almost white from a calcareous deposit, afforded excellent sections 

 of the Upper Ludlow rocks. 



Polypodium dryopteris, the Lady Fern, Polystichtim and Cystopteris fragilis, 

 were noticed as occurring in great abundance. 



Near the Bow Bridge, on the left bank of the river, a fine escarpment of 

 Aymestrey Limestone was passed. Here the party again united, and left in 

 crowded carriages for Leintwardine. 



