ox EXCAVATIONS IN THE PALAEOZOIC ROCKS OF WALES, &C. 233 



Fairly large collections of fossils have been made from Comley, but 

 many of the species appear to be new to Britain or are as yet unde* 

 scribed. It is impossible, therefore, to give complete lists. 



Dr. Callaway quotes ' from the Quarry ' a minute roundish Lingula, 

 Kutorgina cingulata, Bill., and Serpulites fistula, Holl.' 



Professor Lap worth quotes - as associated with his Olenellus Callavei 

 in the Olenellus Limestone ' Kutorgina cingulata, Bill., Linnarsonia 

 sagittalis, Walcott, Ilyolithellus, of. //. micans, Walcott, and EUipto- 

 cephalus sp. ' ; and from the beds yielding his Para,doxides Groomii 

 ' forms of Ptychoparia, Obolella, and Frotospongia.' 



In 1892 Mr. Rhodes collected largely in the area for H.M. Geolo- 

 gical Survey under the direction of Professor Lapworth, and his 

 specimens are still under examination. Numerous other geologists, 

 including myself, have collected fossils from the Quarry and neighbour- 

 hood, obtaining them to a large extent from loose blocks of material, and 

 it is often difficult, or even impossible, to assign the specimens to their 

 respective lithological horizons. 



Being desirous of establishing the exact horizon of some specimens of 

 Microdiscus lobatus. Hall, which I had collected from a spot that was 

 pointed out to me by Mr. Rhodes in 1892, situated in the fields about 

 200 yards south of the Quarry, which species was being described, among 

 others, by Mr. Philip Lake in his Monograph on the Cambrian Trilo- 

 bites,^ I commenced an excavation, in June 1907, at the spot in question, 

 and exposed a series of grey limestones (which had not hitherto been 

 recognised in the Quarry) lying just above, and conformably Avith the 

 Olenellus Limestone. 



Professor Lapworth, being interested, kindly contributed to the pre- 

 liminary expenses, and considered it most desirable to extend the 

 excavations, if possible, to several other critical spots in the area. 

 Subsequently, on the appointment of the Geological Excavation Com- 

 mittee, Section C, at the Leicester meeting of the British Association, 

 a grant was awarded by the Committee for the purpose of carrying out 

 these excavations, and the present I'eport summarises the results of this 

 work down to the present time (June 1908). 



Description of the Excavations. 



The positions of the excavations already carried out are shown on the 

 accompanying sketch map. They are of two kinds : — 



(a) Transverse excavations, numbered 1 to 5 on the rnap, and indi- 

 cated by short thickened lines. These are trenches for the purpose of 

 ascertaining the sequence of the strata above or below known exposures 

 of rock. They are cut through the soil and subsoil (where the depth is 

 not excessive) to solid rock, and allow of the observation of the lithological 

 characters of the various layers, and in some cases of the collection of 

 fossils. 



(6) Vertical excavations or trial holes, numbered 6 to 19 on map, 

 put down to ascertain the nature of any solid rock existing between 



' Op. jam cit. 



« Op. jam cit., p. 532 ; also ' The Geology of S. Skropphire,' Lapworth apd Watts, 

 Proc. Geol. Asioc, London, 1894, p. 310. 



' Pal. tSoc, vpl, Ixi. 1907, ' Cambrian Trilobites,' p. 33. 



