G. W. Colenutt — Note on the Osborne Beds. 101 



Lepidosteiis, many small fish - bones, vertebras, etc. ; and in this 

 seam I have also noticed small dark blue or green pebbles, 

 apparently of flint. The shells are probably Palud'ma lenta and 

 Melanopsis carinata, but are almost too crushed to be identified. 

 There is above this most interesting seam about three feet~of rather 

 hard stratified dark blue clay, with many seams of P. lenta and 

 M. carinata, mostly crushed, but some perfect, with occasional masses 

 of iron pyrites encrusting the shells, and also some lenticular 

 masses of grey cement-stone. 



3. (Bed 4 in my paper, op. cit.) The clay slightly alters, fewer 

 seams of shells being observed, but at the top of this division, which 

 may be about 3 feet thick, we find many vegetable remains matted 

 together. These are mostly of reeds or sedges, but ai'e not yet 

 identified ; occasionally one may find carbonized seed-vessels 

 resembling Folliculites thalictroides, but somewhat diff'erent in shape, 

 also some much smaller oval seeds ; flat leaves of reeds or water 

 plants with roots and rootlets attached, somewhat resembling the 

 living Zostera, occur abundantly. All these plant remains are 

 associated with Paludina and Melanopsis, and are in layers in 

 a somewhat soft grey clay ; it is difficult to preserve the plants, as 

 they crack and curl up on drying. Lenticular masses of cement- 

 stone also occur in this division. 



4. (Bed 3 in my paper, op. cit.) Immediately above the plant bed 

 occurs the ' fish-clay.' This is a seam of dense, dark greenish grey 

 clay about 7 inches thick, very distinct in character from any of 

 the other clays. It acquires a lighter colour on drying, and when 

 dry assumes a somewhat granulated surface. It is a continuous 

 seam, judging from its appearance at the several sections. It has 

 not been found west of King's Quay, nor is it seen at Whitecliff Bay. 

 The clay has an irregular transverse jointing, and readily separates 

 into rough nodules. It is highly laminated, and easily flakes when 

 split with the point of a knife ; it is about as hard as ordinary yellow 

 soap. It is much charged with iron pyrites, in the form of dark 

 gritty masses or lumps in the clay. Clupea vectensis and the prawns 

 are found distributed in this seam ; the top half-inch of the bed is 

 the best place, however, in which to look for them. The fish are 

 generally in small shoals, but the prawns are usually solitary, 

 though the smaller ones do occur in shoals. No insect remains have 

 as yet been observed. 



5. (Bed 2 in my paper, op. cit.) Above the fish bed are several 

 feet of green, brown, and grey clays, of a flaky nature, and on one 

 horizon thin lenticular masses of fish bones, etc., occur. These 

 deposits have yielded remains of Lepidosteus (vertebree, scales, and 

 bones), snake vertebrse, jaws and vertebras of Amia Anglica, teeth of 

 Theridomys, Palceotherium, A. Hantoniensis, bones of Etnys and 

 Trionyx, and quantities of bones and vertebree of teleostean fish, 

 etc. These are obtained, of course, by drying, scalding, and washing 

 the clay. 



6. (Bed 1 in my paper, op. cit.) Above this is about 40 feet or so 

 of the usual mottled unfossiliferous green, red, brown, grey, and 



