Geologi/ of Herefordshire, S;c. 47 



" pentagonal stones which, immersed in vinegar, appear to 

 have motion." The same author very accurately enumerates, 

 " nautili, ammonoidse, ostracites, mytili, pennse marinee, 

 asterise columnares, found in some of the running streams, 

 but rather scarce; with petrified wood and impressions 

 of leaves, particularly in the tophus stone. In some parts 

 of the superior oolite, we find classed, patellae in great abun- 

 dance, though rare elsewhere, buccinse, cylindric trochi, 

 cochleae very sharp, and some in the original colour. Ano- 

 miae, cumsei of the smaller kind ; pectinoides, many in the 

 original colour ; mytili ; spines of echini and beautiful frag- 

 ments of the echini mamillaris, with here and there small speci- 

 mens of madrepores." 



Tupha is found very abundant in the valleys of Gloucester- 

 shire. A gentleman, who has much of it on his estates, informs 

 me that it is dug in such a soft state, that it may be cut 

 with a knife, and forms the most durable building stone for his 

 cloth-mills. In Madras it is very abundantly formed by the 

 washmg, in heavy rains, of calcareous matter into the bottoms 

 " For Its specific lightness and extreme durability, it was fre- 

 quently used in vaulting ceilings, set between the ribs of the 

 sprmgmg arches. The high choir of the cathedral of Glou- 

 cester is a fine specimen of the application of it." 



In the blue lias, we find « masses of mundic, and mundi- 

 cised ammonites, gryphites, asteriee, ostracites, and large bi- 

 valves. In some places layers of coal, very thin and of a fine 

 quality, are inserted in the beds of shells ; likewise some frag- 

 ments of the pearly-shelled nautili of the largest size." 



Smyth's observations, who wrote the Lives of the Berkeleys 

 are so curious, that I cannot omit them, being a rare specimen 

 of the science of a literary character of that day. " One found 

 certain stones resembling cockles, periwinkles, oysters, and 

 the like, of such curiosity and delight to looke upon and to con- 

 Sider; of which I rather think to bee the gameful sportes of na- 

 ture, than with Francastorius the grte philosophr of ths age, to 

 hve bn sometime large creatures, engndred in the sea, and by the 

 wtr cast up on ths and like places, and soo to be shell fishes 

 stonified." 



