Reports and Proceedings — Geological Society of London, 617 



Geological Society of London. 

 The opening meeting of the session 1904-5 took place on 

 November 9th.— J. E. Marr, So.D., F.E.S., President, in 

 the Chair. 



Mr. E, T. Newton, in exhibiting, by permission of the Director 

 of H.M. Geological Survey, a specimen of Fayolia near to Fay alia 

 grandis, found by Dr. L. Moysey, of Nottingham, in the Coal- 

 measures of Ilkeston (Derbyshire), pointed out that Fayolia was 

 first described by Professors Renault & Zeiller in 1884, in their 

 monograph on the " Houiller de Commentry." In 1894 Mr. Seward 

 described the first British specimen, from Northumberland, in the 

 Leeds Naturalist, but thought that it was not a plant. There was 

 some resemblance to certain spiral egg-cases of Elasmobranchs ; but 

 Dr. Giinther was unwilling to accept the Northumberland fossil as 

 the egg-case of a fish. Mr. Kidston had not yet seen the specimen 

 now exhibited ; but, from a sketch, he recognised its relation to 

 Fayolia. At present, there was still uncertainty as to the exact 

 nature of this fossil. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. " Notes on Upper Jurassic Ammonites, with special reference 

 to Specimens in the University Museum, Oxford : 11.^ " By Miss 

 Maud Healey. (Communicated by Professor W. J. SoUas, So.D.^ 

 LL.D., F.R.S.) This was the first occasion in the history of the 

 Geological Society when a lady, the author of a paper, was not only 

 present, but read her own paper and replied to the discussion 

 thereon. 



This paper gives a redescription of the types of Gardioceras 

 vertebrale, Sow., C. scarbrugeuse, Y. & B., C. cordatum, Sow., and 

 C. excavatum, Sow., and their varieties. Four varieties of the first, 

 nine of the second, three of the third and fourth, are defined, and 

 a description is given of a new species of Gardioceras belonging to 

 the same group. Notes on species allied to the group and on others 

 which have been wrongly confused with it are added. These species 

 are so closely connected by innumerable transitional forms that their 

 limits cannot be definitely fixed. The term ' species ' is therefore 

 used as equivalent to Professor J. W. Gregory's circtdus : " It includes 

 a number of 'forms,' which vary along lines radiating outward from 

 a central type. Some of the members farthest removed from the 

 centre may be within the range of another circidus, for the different 

 circuli may overlap or be connected by an indefinite series of 

 individuals." Each circidus is made up of subcircuU or varieties, 

 and several circuli make up a group which need not necessarily 

 correspond with a genus. C. cordatum is retained as the name of 

 the whole group, although the type is a most unsatisfactory little- 

 specimen from the Corallian of Shotover. 



1 For Part I see Geol. Mag., 1904, p. 39. 



