350 Mr. J. Phillips on the Lo'wer or Ganister 



limestone, in the British Islands ; for, instead of containing 

 only the remains of plants or fresh-water shells, it is filled 

 with a considerable diversity of marine shells, belonging to 

 the genera Pecten and jJmmonites ; and in one locality, near 

 Halifax, specimens of Orthocera, Ostrea ?, and scaly fish have 

 been obtained from certain nodular argillo-calcareous concre- 

 tions, called Baum Pots, lying over it. The uniform occur- 

 rence of the Pectens and Ammonites through so wide a range 

 over one particular thin bed of coal, while they are not found 

 in any other part of the coal strata, is one of the most curious 

 pheenomena yet observed concerning the distribution of or- 

 ganic remains, and will undoubtedly be found of the highest 

 importance in all deductions relating to the circumstances 

 which attended the production of coal. The following sections 

 will convey a good idea of the general character of the whole of 

 this lowest coal series. 



The first is a section of Swan Banks Colliery near Halifax; 

 furnished to me by its friendly proprietor, Christopher Raw- 

 son, Esq., President of the Literary and Philosophical Society 

 of Halifax, whose remarkable zeal and diligence in exploring 

 the phenomena presented by his underground works, have 

 not only produced the discover}' of many new and curious 

 animal remains in the baum pots, but added some very im- 

 portant facts to the general history of the coal-field. 



Yds. Ft. In. 

 "Ragstone, {the lower part of the Jlagsione rock) . . 27 



Black shale 40 



Coal (80 yards band coal) 6 



Rag 4 



Black shale 28 



Coal (48 yards band coal) Oil 



Gray shale 2 



Black shale 7 1 3 



Dirt band (black tough clay) 3 



Black shale 4 1 6 



Coal (36 yards coal band) 7 



Galliard 1 



Black shale 12 



Rag and shale 13 



Black shale 7 



Shale and ironstone (called Hard Band), flat \ n q o 



baum pots J 



Gray shale (called WhiteEarth), with small round 1 i r* n 



baum pots containing Ostrea; ? J 



Concretions (called Baum Pots), with Ammonites,&c. 10 

 Black shale (called Moon Bassett), with Pectens 10 



