G. W. Butler — A Clialk Fauna near Reigate. 269 



On a Rich Fauna in the varians Zone of the 

 Lower Chalk near Reigate. 



By Geeard W. Butler, B.A., F.G.S. 



rFHIS fauna resembles that found by Mantell a hundred years 

 -*- ago in the " Chalk Marl " of the South Downs at Hamsey, 

 near Lewes (see specimens in the Natural History Museum, South 

 Kensington), but the occurrence of such a fauna in the familiar 

 North Downs of Surrey seems hitherto unknown. I think, then, 

 that this find should be recorded, that others may, when possible, 

 see how far the faunal richness is local. 



The place where my son, R. W. Butler, and I, after living seventeen 

 years in Reigate, stumbled upon this fauna, is on that well-known 

 track, the " Pilgrims' Way " ; but it is quite a small excavation, 

 from which a few cartloads of Chalk have been taken for the land. 

 It is about a quarter of a mile west of the " Horseshoe ", and where 

 the cart-track from CoUey House Farm (south of the railway) meets 

 the " Pilgrims' Way ". On the 6 in. Ordnance Survey Map, 1915, 

 Sheet xxvi S.W., it is 3'85 inches from the top edge and 2'35 inches 

 from the right edge. From here a path up the hill runs north-east 

 to some small pits, indicated on this map, where some 50 feet 

 higher than the exposure here described the nodular " Melbourn 

 Rock", the base of the Middle Chalk, is seen. Thus the horizon, 

 though by its fossils clearly in the A. varians zone, is above the 

 middle of the Lower Chalk ; but in the absence of a continuous 

 section I do not know how much it is above the Upper Greensand. 



The fossils found include : — Cephalopoda : Nautilus, Anisoceras 

 armatum J. de C. Sow., Tunilites costatus Lam., Baculites baculoides 

 Mantell sp., ScMoenhachia varians J. Sow., Schl. cowpei Brong., 

 Acanthoceras rotomagense Brong., Acanthoceras sp. (an abnormal 

 specimen, with right and left sides different, intermediate between 

 A. rotomagense and A. mantelli Sharpe), Scaphites striatus Mantell. 

 Lamellibranchiata : Plicatula, Lima (Plagiostoma) glohosa J. de C. 

 Sow., Lima sp., Limatella, Pecten beaveri Sow., Inoceramus (2 or 

 more species), Cucullaa, Cardita, Cyprina, Tellina, Pholadomya 

 decussata Mantell sp., Cuspidaria, Corhula truncata Sow., and as 

 more doubtful genera Pectunculus and Nucula. Gasteropoda : 

 Pleurotomaria, Solariella gemmata J. de C. Sow., Solarium, Turritella, 

 Cerithimn, Aporrhais (2 or 3 species), Avellana cassis d'Orb. 

 Brachiopoda : lAngula, Rhynchonella mantelliana Sow., Rh. martini 

 Mantell, Terebratulina striata. Wahl., Terehratida, Kingena lima 

 Defr. Other fossils : Discoidea cylindrica Lam., Echinoid spines, 

 Serjnda, tooth of Lamna apjoendictdata Agassiz sp., and some black 

 carbonaceous traces of vegetable matter. 



In the case of all the Cephalopods, all the Gasteropods except 

 Solarium, and all the Lamellibranchs except Plicatida, Lima 

 glohosa, and some of the Lnocerami, the shell has disappeared, its 

 place being taken by chalk, sometimes ironstained. The chalk, 



