■^6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COTTESWOLD CLUB 



features about the fossil which would seem to indicate 

 a vegetable origin. Possibly it may ultimately be referred 

 to the calcareous algae, or even to some still lower form of 

 vegetable life. 



I now pass to the Oolitic Period of the Jurassic rocks. 

 I need not remind geologists of the origin of the term 

 oolite, but as we have present persons who are not 

 conversant with geology in general, I may mention that 

 the oolites are characterised by a structure resembling the 

 roe of a fish, hence the name "roestone" or "eggstone" 

 was given by the quarrymen, and this has been translated 

 in the language of science into oolite. Freestone is a 

 type of this rock. 



We know that during the Jurassic Period marine life was 

 exceedingly abundant. There were numerous tvi)es of 

 mollusca, echinodermata, ammonites, corals, |)olyzoa, 

 etc. ; but the interesting jk-occss which went on was the 

 formation of the minute oolitic granules ("roestone") to 

 which I have referred. 



The process of oolitic formation is still going on in the 

 sea of to-day, but dredging ex[)editions appear to haw 

 over-looked the im])ortance and interest attached to them. 

 The explanation probably is that it was taken for granted 

 that the granules were simply concretions. Dr. Roth|)latz 

 however has written on oolitic granules collected in the 

 Red Sea and Great Salt Lake, and assigns their origin to 

 lime — secreting fission algae,* and not to a concretionary 

 process as generally sujjposed. 



At the British Association, in 1 888, Professor H. G. 

 Seeley, F.R.S., read a paper "On the Origin of Oolitic 

 Texture in Limestone Rocks. "t 



Britisli Association Report, 188K, pp, 674-675. 



t American (Jeologist, vol. x, JS92, p. 280: trans. !•. W. Cragin, from 

 " Botaniocheo (^eiitralblatt, " No. 25, 1892. 



