Notes and Comments. 69 
Microscopical Society, and this possibly accounts for the apparent 
co-operation of the two societies as regards printing. We do 
not know the local circumstances, but we should have thought 
that it would have been advisable for the two societies, covering 
a somewhat similar ground, to have amalgamated. It is quite 
possible that many of the members are paying subscriptions to 
the two societies. 
“FOSSIL MUSHROOMS.’ 
Visitors to the well-known chalk quarries on the south 
Humber shore, near South Ferriby and Barton, will be familiar 
with the small circular ‘sea-urchins’ which occur in some 
‘Fossil Mushrooms.’ 
numbers in the lower part of the pits. They are best seen 
protruding, mushroom-like, from the bed of chalk immediately 
below the ‘Black-band,’ or zone of Belemnitella plena. This 
‘Black-band’ is cleared away for convenience in blasting opera- 
tions, leaving a shelf of exposed chalk, below which is an 
excellent collecting ground. The quarrymen, who secure these 
specimens, are evidently not believers in the deep-sea origin 
of the chalk; the pointed teeth occurring there, are, by 
them, known as ‘fossil birds’ tongues,’ the Ammonites were 
once snakes, and the echinoderms were mushrooms. As 
‘proof’ of the last, specimens are produced with the ‘stalk’ 
still adhering, this having been cut from the solid by the work- 
men. Two such specimens are shown on the bottom row in 
the above illustration, the centre specimen being “chznoconus 
castanea from another part of the pit; all the remainder are 
Discotdea cylindrica. 
1907 March tr. 
