276 A. R. Horwood—Transition-bed and Crinoidal Limestone. 
a synclinal trough would naturally first be exposed to waves and littoral 
conditions generally, and whilst retaining something of its original 
character (as shown by the scattered crinoid fragments) would also 
include pieces of sediment derived from littoral sources, and receive 
later littoral detritus; and if above water or near sea-level, rolled 
fragments would be mixed up with the pelagic matter. 
The fossils, indeed, found in the sandy ferruginous mass were 
those of beds lower down, e.g. Pecten lunularis, Lima pectinoides, 
Belemnites, etc. Whilst admitting that this rock, not being found in 
situ, might possibly represent our bed C at Billesdon Coplow, we 
consider at present it represents a higher series; but however that 
may be, subsequent discovery, stimulated by this find, is amply 
sufficient to support the correlation advanced later in this paper. 
The discovery of this abnormal rock was, in fact, a clue in itself, 
and though not found in situ indicated the close proximity of 
a similar or more normal band. Nor was I disappointed in the quest, 
for slightly higher up, after finding a loose slab of crinoidal limestone, 
of a browner colour than usual, in a small covert, a shallow overgrown 
excavation flanking a hedge-row revealed actual traces of the real 
crinoidal limestone band in situ. Here again, however, the deposit 
was also abnormal, for instead of constituting a single thick well- 
marked stratum it was split up into two beds divided by 10 inches of 
sandy ferruginous rock, with a conjoint thickness of 3 to 4 inches. 
We have thus evidence of the further extension of the crinoidal 
limestone band from the southern area to the northern or the central 
portion, indicated by an exceptional but highly interesting and 
instructive rock. It may be that this band has assumed the character 
of the thinner band (bed C) in the Billesdon Coplow section,’ where 
it is broken up and irregular, in which case it would indicate a zone 
just below the bed B, or crinoidal limestone band horizon, if 
identical; but, apart from their different lithological composition, 
differing as they do in purity of contents, the Burrough crinoidal 
band is regular in extent, though attenuated. It dips at an angle of 
somewhat more than 10° to the south-east (just at this point), and 
may thus represent just the western margin of the Middle Liassic 
sea. The conglomeratic band, whether equivalent to bed B or C at 
the Coplow, is an example of shore conditions, and laid down to the 
west, being now displaced by earlier quarrying and weathering. 
In thus establishing the original continuity of the crinoidal lme- 
stone band between the central and southern Marlstone tracts in 
Leicestershire we may, furthermore, venture to predict the existence 
of the ‘ Transition-bed’ at the same locality, for the crinoidal band is 
sufficiently below the top of the hill to allow this, as at Tilton Hill, 
being quite 5 feet below the surface on the higher ground. So that 
though paleontological evidence, which alone is conclusive, is not 
here forthcoming, owing to the character of the section, yet strati- 
graphic evidence is undoubtedly in favour of its existence. 
The section, in so far as it is possible to indicate its thickness, is as 
follows :— 
1 Trans. Northants Nat. Hist. Soc., 1907, p. 108. 
