BRITISH ISLES. 6 



Birds, J. A. Postscripts to the Paper on the Post- Pliocene Forma- 

 tions of the Isle of Man. Geol Mag. dec. 2, vol. ii. pp. 226-228, 

 428-430. 

 The object is to maintain the author's classification of Manx Drifts 

 against that of Mr. Home, who thinks that the deposits flescribed by- 

 Mr. Birds as Upper Boulder Clay represent the Upper and Lower 

 Boulder Clays of Scotch geologists, that his Middle Sands and Gravels 

 are the equivalents of the Kame series, and that his Lower Boulder 

 Clay should be regarded as the equivalent of the shelly beds of the 

 Clyde. The author, while admitting that intercalated beds are common 

 in his Lower Boulder Clay, considers that we should expect a more 

 frequent occurrence of such intercalations in the Upper Boulder Clay, 

 which was formed when the cold was not very intense and the ice was 

 comparatively thin, than in the Lower Boulder Clay, which Mr. Home 

 considers was formed when the cold was at its extreme, and the ice was 

 from 2000 to 3000 feet thick ; and that, therefore, the highest beds in 

 the Isle of Man are, so far, more likely to be Upper than Lower 

 Boulder Clay. J. G. G. 



Blake, Rev. J. F. On the Kimmeridge Clay of England. Quart. 

 Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xxxi. pp. 196-233 (plate and woodcut 

 map *). 



After a notice of the classification proposed by previous writers, the 

 author describes the beds as follows : — Upper Kimmeridge ( Virgulian) ; 

 shales and cement-stones, mth fossils of few species but many indivi- 

 duals. It is 650 feet thick at Kimmeridge, thick also in Lincolnshire, 

 but thin in central England. The Middle Kimmeridge (Pterocerian) 

 appears to be absent in England ; the beds referred to this horizon by 

 Dr. Waagen the author classes with the Lower Kimmeridge ; here, too, 

 he is inclined to place the beds exposed E. of Kimmeridge Bay, and 

 part of those in Bingstead Bay. Loiver Kimmeridge (Astartian) ; Clay 

 with Calcareous " doggers," from 300 to 500 feet thick in Bingstead 

 Bay, perhaps about 400 feet in Lincolnshire ; it is well developed in 

 the inland counties. Kimmeridge Passage-Beds, 20 feet thick at Wey- 

 mouth ; these are only present when the Coral Rag occurs below them, 

 many fossils of the latter passing up into them ; they are absent in 

 Lincolnshire. Lists of fossils from numerous pits are given ; also a table 

 showing the vertical and geographical distribution of the fossils. There 

 are many forms common to the Oxford and Kimmeridge Clays. 



The following new species are described: — Gyrodus ornatissimus, 

 Pycnodus qidncuncialis, Rostellaria Ilasenensis, Natica punctidata, Ce- 

 riihium fortiwstatum, C. crehrum, C. multiplicatum^ Trochus excavatuSy 

 T. retrorsus, Lmina minuscula, Cyprina cyreniformiSy Anatina minutOf 

 Pholadidea abbreviata, Leda lineata^ Nucula obliquata, Area longipunc- 

 tata, A. reticulata, Inoceramus eccpansus, Avicula cedilignetisis, A. num- 

 mulinay A. vellicatay A. Dorsetensis, Lima o'dilignensis, Discina elevata, 

 Vermicidaria Mntorta, Scalpellum reticuhtum. W. T. 



* There is a mistake in the Index to this map, Upper Kim. of the Index referring 

 to Lower Kim. of tlie Map. 



