37 



At this spot the Bucklandi beds are again brought or faulted 

 to the surface, and about 1 30 feet exposed, this series is however 

 also much disturbed, and continues so on to Little Stoke Point, 

 where a reverse dip occurs, apparently from a north and south 

 fault, and the influence of those which also traverse east and west 

 and which to the east, by 3 or 4 parallel upthrows, bring the 

 New Eed Marls to the level of the Lias ; this it is which also 

 brings in the Ehaetic Beds in great force east of Little Stoke. 

 The following section, ISTo. II, made in the year 1865, will shew 

 their significance. At Watch et, and two points east of it, the 

 Rhsetic Beds are well developed, but under different lithological 

 conditions, only the Lowest series are exposed (Red and Grey 

 Marls, &c.) with some Black and Gypsiferous Marls. The 

 higher series containing Avicula concorta, &c., seem to be in place 

 to the north at the sea level; it was from this lower sei'ies 

 west of the Harbour that Mr. Dawkins obtained Microlestes 

 (Hypsiprimnopsis) Ehseticus, the earliest known genus of Mam- 

 malia in the British Eocks.* 



Eh^tic Series op the Watchett Akea in Bridge water Bat. 



I have stated that at four localities along the north coast of 

 West Somersetshire, these remarkable rocks appear. It is due to 

 the numerous faults and contortions of the strata that they are 

 not seen continuously along the entire coast from Benhole Farm 

 on the east, to Blue Anchor on the west. The known inland 

 sections are two — St. Decuman's in the railway cutting between 

 Williton and Watchett, immediately south of the Harbour, and 

 Lower Yenniford, under Heyden Down and North Hill, 9 miles 

 west of Watchett. 



The most important exposure and section is at St. Audrey's 

 Slip two miles east of Watchett. It may be regarded as a typical 

 section corresponding in most of its details with that of Penarth 

 and Lavernock on the opposite coast (fig 2). The extreme eastern 

 part of the section is composed of New Eed Marl with 72 feet 

 of alternating grey, green, red and pale yellow, bands of hard 



* Quarterly Journal Geological Society, Vol. xx., pp. 528-412, 

 D 



