271 



The exposure of Lower Lias is considerably greater, and abounds 

 in sucli characteristic fossils of the formation as Lima gigantea, 

 Ammonites planorhis, and its thicker variety A. Johnstoni, Ostrea 

 Liassica, &c. The Ehsetic beds resemble very closely those at 

 Aust — the "bone-bed" is but feebly represented — Avicida con- 

 torta is present occasionally. All these beds are more accessible 

 than at Aust, tlie exposed thickness of Red Marls being- con- 

 siderably less. 



The members and friends dined together at the Beaufort 

 Arms, Chepstow. After dinner Dr. Wright gave an account 

 of a remarkable discovery in connexion with Rhoetic geology, 

 which will form the subject of a paper in this year's issue of our 

 " Transactions." A few months previously Dr. Wright had 

 received from Berlin a parcel of fossils for identification, derived 

 from the Rhsetic series of Hildesheim. Amongst these he found 

 a new species of Brittle-Star (Ophiura), to which he gave the 

 name of " Ophiolepis Damesii." Some weeks subsequently a 

 party of students belonging to the School of Science at Glou- 

 cester, after hearing a lecture by Mr. Lucy, proceeded to Garden 

 Cliff, Westbury, for a day's geologising. They were successful 

 in finding all the characteristic fossils of that well-known 

 Section, and wonderful to relate — seeing that the ground has 

 been worked by Geologists so long and so thoroughly that it 

 would seem scarcely possible any novelty could turn up — they 

 found several examples of a small Star-fish, which, being sent 

 to Dr. Wright, was by him recognised as identical with his 

 Ophiolepis Damesii from Hildesheim. This discovery imparts a 

 new interest to the Rhoetic series, at least to that portion of 

 them which has hitherto been found in this country. Doubts 

 had arisen both here and on the Continent as to the conditions 

 of the sea in which its organisms dwelt, a fresh water character 

 having been claimed for it — such was the opinion of Edward 

 Forbes — and until the discovery of these Ophiurites there was 

 no decisive evidence to the contrary. The presence however of 

 these little brittle-stars is decisive of the marine character of 

 the beds in which they were found. Those at Hildesheim were 

 found between the " upper and lower ' bone-bed,'" in associa- 

 tion with bones of Hgbodus. 



