By Charles Moore, F.G.S. 51 



Between the Oxford and the Kimmeridge Clays there are inter- 

 posed beds of lower and upper calcareous grits, separated by a deposit 

 known as the Coral Rag, typical exanjples of which are to be found 

 near Parringdon, and at Lyneham, Wootton Bassett, and Steeple 

 Ash ton. The latter represents a true coral reef of the secondary 

 period. Some of the corals are in beautiful preservation. At Steeple 

 Ashton good collecting ground may be found in the arable fields, 

 the plough sometimes touching the surface of the reef, and thereby 

 bring"ing the corals to light. Calne, which is on this formation, 

 was formerly a celebrated locality for Echini. It is not usual for 

 the long spines of this family to be still found in a fossil state 

 attached to their shells, but this used to be the case at Calne, and 

 indicated that they had a very quiet entombment. Examples in 

 this condition are now more rarely found. Lyneham has been to 

 myself an interesting locality, as I have found there three species of 

 Thecididse, the T. ornaiibm, Moore, and the T. pygmmi^m, Moore, 

 being hitherto confined to that locality. There are also examples 

 of the minute but exceedingly beautiful shells of Foraminifera, one 

 of which, an Involid'ma, is probably a new species. Carpenteria, 

 another of the family, is worth notice. Until lately it was only 

 known as a recent marine organism. I have recently found it in 

 the Green Sand brought up from the Meux well boring, 1000 feet 

 under London, and since then at Lyneham, but its life-history has 

 yet to be traced through intervening deposits to the present time. 

 Like others of this family it obtained its food by means of minute 

 openings in its shell, through, which its pseudopodia were projected, 

 which appear to have seized everything within their reach. In 

 some recent specimens minute silicious spines, which must have 

 proved very indigestible morsels, have been found in their chambers. 

 The Kimmeridge Clays which follow are interesting in connection 

 with Wiltshire geology. They extend throughout the county to 

 the hamlet of Kimmeridge, on the Dorsetshire coast, whence they 

 take their name. I have before remarked on their great thickness 

 in the Sussex boring. Some beds are so mineralized and bituminous 

 as to be used by the villagers on the coast for fuel. They contain 

 large quantities of oil, which it has been hoped might eventually be 



E % 



