72 



That this fossil bed of Dorset deserves the name it has received 

 may be gathered from the fact that iu some places the stone con-- 

 sists of cemented masses of Ammonites, Nautili, &c., upwards of 

 sixty species having already been tabulated. 



Parts of this fossil-bearing series are no less rich in Gasteropoda, 

 whilst the Monomyaria and Dimyaria also abound, and no less so the 

 Brachiopoda, as the species figured by Mr. Davidson so fully testify. 

 Indeed we seem to have, in less than a yard in thickness of rough 

 oolite, over 300 forms, most of which are found scattered through 

 150 or 200 feet of the oolitic beds of the Co ttes wolds. Some forms 

 of the Cotteswold series are absent here, but they are replaced by 

 others which have not been observed as Cotteswoldians. 



As regards the Brachiopods, we miss the Terebratula simplex* 

 T. plicata, Buck., and T. fimbria, Sow. j but the grand T. perovalis 

 var ampla, Buck. ; T. Stephens!, Dav. ; T. decipiens, E. Desl. ; and 

 T. cranese, Dav., fully make up for their absence. 



Taken altogether, this grand series of fossils seems to well repay the 

 time that has been spent upon it, and, now that we have made so 

 good a start through Mr. Davidson's kindness and liberality, by his 

 exquisite figures and lucid description of the Brachiopods, we sin- 

 cerely hope, in a future volume, to be able to do as much for some 

 other group of these interesting and well-preserved specimens. 



THE EDITOR. 



