210 



stone," though Dr. Wright has ignored this, and applied the term Saurian 

 beds to thera. In the first place the former are more numerous than the 

 latter, and as yet, with the exception of the few referred to in the Lima zone, 

 have not been observed la our Lias between the lowest limestones and the 

 upper Lias, and they hold a higher rank in the animal kingdom ; and though 

 more frequent in some layers and places than others, after breaking up a 

 few blocks of stone some small wings or elytra are almost sure to be found. 

 They are also of special interest and iLnportance, as being almost the only 

 relics of creatures inhabiting the land, while the marine fauna is never 

 absolutely wanting. As Mr. Dawkins and Mr. Moore have discovered teeth 

 of mammalia in the Rbcetic series of the Trias beds, it is fair perhaps to 

 conclude if we may venture to speculate so far, that the insect tribes were 

 not the only denizens of the land during the Liassic epoch, and some future 

 fortunate geologist may discover many other forms of contemporary animal 

 life. I have traced these insect limestones in Somersetshii-e, Gloucestershire, 

 "Warwickshire, and Leicestershire, where they present the same mineralogical 

 characters, and contain similar fossils. In some places one or two layers of 

 limestone only are present, in others five or six or more, and they seem to 

 be best developed in the two latter counties. Insects occur in all, more rarely 

 perhaps in Leicestershire, where, as I had previously predicted, they have been 

 lately discovered. Similar beds, I believe, occur in Nottinghamshire, and my 

 friend Mr. Norwood has detected them with insect remains near Hotham, 

 in Yorkshire, so that they maintain their persistency both lithologically and 

 eoologically over a wide horizontal area. The following sections at WUmcote 

 and Binton, in Warwickshire, will explain the nature of this division of the 

 lower lias : — 



/'I. Yellowclay 2 



2. Light- coloured limestone 



b 3. Dark laminated limentone 1 



S 4. Light coloured limestone 

 ? 5. Dark, finely laminated 



shales 1 



\^ 6. Grey limestone 



( 7. Dark shale, like No. 6 . . 1 



8 Grey limestone 



9. Dark shale 1 



10. Grey limestone 



11. Dark shale 1 



12. Grey limestone 



13. Dark laminated clay 



514. Grey limestone, of irre- 



° gular thickness 



5 15. Clay, like 13 



n 16. Grey limestone 



,5:7. Clay, like 13 



18. Grey limestone 



19. Clay, like 13 4 



20. Fragmentary shelly bed . . 



21. Dark hard strong clay . . 



22. Dark blue limestone and 



clay 



§23. Clay, like 13 1 



Wilmcote Section. 



The term grey for the 7 

 limestones (6 to IS in- 

 clusive) is not strictly 

 correct : they are some- 

 times grey and white 

 externally, but often 

 blue in the centre, 

 speckled with dark 

 spots, and mostof them 

 readily splitting along 

 the line of bedding. 



Fish and saurians and 

 ammonites occur mora 

 orless throughout. The 

 insect remain are con- 

 fined to the limestones, 

 and notably to the 

 lowest, where they are 

 most numerous. 



Saurians especially abun- 

 dant in Nos. 21 to 30 

 inclusive. 



In these shales and lime- 

 stones beyond Brocke- 

 ridge Common, near 

 Tewkesbury, some fine 

 fern fronds have been 

 obtained, and are now 

 in the Worcester Mu- 

 seum. 



