1904.] Culm Measures of Devon, and the Age of the Beds. 99 



British coal-fields ; a higher horizon than has so far been assigned to 

 these beds. 



There is also evidence of a different nature which points to the 

 conclusion that the Lower Coal Measures are also represented in 

 Devon. In beds at Instow, some 2J miles to the north of Bideford, 

 which are admitted to occupy u lower horizon than those at Bideford, 

 fish and Goniatite remains have been recorded by the late Townshend 

 Hall (1876). The fish remains are estuarine, and belong to the 

 following species : 



Ccelacanthus elegans, New]). 

 Elonichthys aitkeni, Traq. 



The Goniatites are as follows : 



Gastrioceras carbonarium (von Buch). 

 Gastrioceras Listen (Martin). 



Most of these species are, I believe, characteristic of the Lower Coal 

 Measures, although not confined to that horizon. 



With regard to the higher beds of the Culm Measures the Eggesf ord 

 (jrrits in Mr. Ussher's classification there is no evidence of horizon at 

 present, but it is hoped that the examination of these rocks which is 

 shortly to be undertaken will be successful in solving this problem by 

 means of the plant remains which are known to occur in this series. 



Lastly it may be pointed out that the use of the term " culm " or 

 " kulm," with regard to certain series of deposits in Germany and 

 Austria, is particularly unfortunate, for these beds are entirely of 

 Lower Carboniferous age, as is shown by the character of their plant 

 remains, now well known from the researches of Stur, Goppert, 

 Potonie, and others. Although Lower Carboniferous rocks of great 

 interest occur in Devon and the adjacent counties, they form only a 

 small fraction of the thickness of the Culm Measures which, as a 

 whole, are essentially Upper, and not Lower Carboniferous in age, and 

 to which, in part at least, the ordinary nomenclature applied to other 

 British coal-fields has been shown here to be applicable. 



I am under great obligations to many geologists for assistance 

 during the course of this work, obligations which will be acknowledged 

 at length in the paper. I cannot refrain, how ever, from expressing 

 my great indebtedness to Mr. Inkermann Eogers, of Bideford, for the 

 time and patience which he has devoted to. the collection of plant 

 remains with a view to helping forward the work. 



