258 



observers; and to it they have referred the Permian, or the 

 Permian rock to it. Up to the present time, however, no fossils 

 seem to have been found which can be assigned to the Permian 

 deposits. Only one species of Brachiopoda has been obtained, 

 which is either a small variety of T. hastata, or an elongated 

 fonn of T. sacculus. It resembles T. sufflata, from the Permian 

 beds of Durham, and was at first believed to be that shell. 



The chief interest attached to this question, with relation to 

 New Passage and Portskewet sections, arises and arose out of 

 doubt as to the long looked for and expected Permian beds 

 being deposited over some, if not many, parts of the Bristol 

 Coal Field where Magnesian Conglomerates in places aboimd, 

 and also along the southern flanks of the Welsh Coal Field ; 

 and the very abnormal conditions of those same beds, overlying 

 the Carboniferous Limestone in Glamorganshire generally, 

 especially in the Bridgend, Sutton, Ewenny, and Ogmore 

 districts, added to the interest attached to the somewhat 

 uncertain conditions under which the Sutton Stone and Lower 

 Lias generally were deposited along and upon, or against, the 

 southern outcrop of the Basin, or indeed the Bristol Channel 

 altogether; and it is yet expected and believed that if the 

 Permian beds are found anywhere in the West of England, they 

 would occupy the basin of the Severn. The statement, then, that 

 the Permian series existed and had been found at Portskewet 

 induced Sir William Guise and myself to devote some hours 

 to the investigation of the question at issue, and to carefully 

 examine the site and sections at the New Passage, as we were 

 both anxious that the Club should inform itself through one or 

 more of its members if such really existed, feeling that this 

 came within its geographical area on the one hand, and its 

 privilege to determine such questions on the other, and moreover 

 that it rested with them to solve the. problem, as one or two of 

 its members had raised the question. 



I reserve to myself any extension of this question, and will 

 gladly extend these notes on communicating with Mr. Eassie 

 and others who have visited the localities in question; and if 

 worthy of place in the Proceedings of the Club, will also 

 communicate newer matter. 



