41 



objects of Natural History. The Geological department is 

 particularly deserving of praise, and contains a good series 

 of fossils, especially local ones; including some fine Saurians 

 (a large Plesiosaurus macrocephalus, similar to the fine 

 specimen in the Warwick Museum,) and fish from the well- 

 known quarries at Barrow, on the same Geological horizon 

 as those at Wilmcote and Binton in Warwickshire, and also 

 a large number of fossils from the Rhoetics near the city, 

 lately discovered by Mr. Harrison, the Curator. The 

 Geologists spent some time in inspecting them, while the 

 Archaeologists examined the antiquities, in which this Mu- 

 seum is particularly rich, especially relics of the Roman period 

 of British History, including coflins, urns, amphorae, tesse- 

 lated pavements, and coins. The former then proceeded 

 under the guidance of Mr. Mott and Mr. Harrison to examine 

 the Rhoetics at the Spinney hills, where several sections were 

 exposed and exhibiting about ten feet of black shales, with 

 Cardium Rhceticum and Avicula contorta, including a very 

 soft and thin bone bed, resting on about forty feet of white 

 marly bands overlying Red marls; in the shales Mr. Harri- 

 son obtained the first British specimen of any Radiate 

 known in the Rhoetics, a few others belonging to the same 

 species have been found since in the equivalent shales at 

 Westbury Clifl^, Gloucestershire.* A few characteristic 

 fossils but no great variety were obtained, but not a trace 

 of Ophima could be seen. Mr. Harrison explained the 

 sections in detail, and pointed out the exact spot where he 

 had found his Ophima damesii. The Rev P. Brodie made 

 a few brief remarks on the general character and extension 



* See for further detaUs Papers on these Khoetics by the Eev. P. Brodie, in the 

 Journal of the Geological Society, vol. 30, part 5, December, 1874; Keport of the 

 British Association, Bristol Meeting, 187.^; and Report of the Warwickshire 

 Natural History and Archeeological Society for the same year. 



