Dr. R. L. Sherlock — Foraminifera of Speeton Clay. 217 



Collection of the British Museum {Natural History), 1882, p. 9. 

 Specimens of this species, named by Eupert Jones, are in the Britisli 

 Museum and in the Museum of Practical Geology. 



The Foraminifera of the K.ed Chalk, which lies above the Speeton 

 Clay, have been described by Messrs. H. W. Burrows, C. D. Sherboru, 

 and G. Bailey in " The Foraminifera of the Red Chalk of Yorkshire, 

 Norfolk, and Lincolnshire", Journ, Roy. Micr. Soc, 1890, pp. 549- 

 66, pis. viii-xi. 



Foraminifera from rocks of approximately the same age as the 

 Speeton Clay have been described by (1) A. E. Reuss in his paper 

 " Die Foraniiniferen der norddeutschen Hils und Gault", Sitzungsber. 

 k. Akad. Wiss. Wien, vol. xlvi, Abth. i, pp. 5-100, pis. i-xiii, 1862 

 (1863). (2) J. Cornuel, " Description de nouveaux fossiles micro- 

 scopiques du terrain cretace iuferieur du departement de la Haute- 

 Marne," Mem. Soc. geol. France, ser. ii, vol. iii, pp. 241-63, pis. iii, iv, 

 1848. (3) F. Chapman, "The Bargute Beds of Surrey and their 

 Microscopic Contents," Q.J.G.S., vol. 1, pp. 677-730, pis. xxxiii, 

 xxxiv, 1894. (4) F. Chapman, "The Foraminifera of the Gault 

 of Folkestone," pts. i-x, in Journ. Roy. Micr. Soc, 1891-8. 

 (5) G. Berthelin, " Me moire sur les Foraminiferes fossils de I'Etage 

 Albien de Montcley (Doubs)," Mem. Soc. geol. France, ser. iii, vol. i, 

 No. 5, pp. 1-84, pis. xxiv-vii, 1880. 



Treatment of Material. — The specimens examined were small, 

 usually from 1 to 2 cubic inches, so that the list of Foraminifera 

 cannot be regarded as exhaustive, but it is clear that there are not 

 more than four horizons in the zones C, D, E, and F (see pp. 218, 219) 

 which are likely to repay a further search. 



The dry clay was broken into small pieces about the size of a pea, 

 and these fragments were heated gently over a Bunsen burner and 

 dropped whilst hot into cold water. After standing for a short time 

 the sediment was washed free from fine mud and the residue dried 

 and passed through a sieve. The sediment was then passed through, 

 first, coarse, and then through fine muslin, and the different residues 

 were examined under the microscope for Foraminifera. The great 

 majority of the forms were obtained from that part which had passed 

 through coarse muslin but was stopped by fine muslin. One or two 

 specimens of hard shale refused to break up under this treatment, 

 and these were examined in minute fragments under the microscope. 



The results of the investigation are somewhat disappointing. The 

 specimens of Speeton Clay examined, except from a few horizons, are 

 almost without Microzoa, and those found have, as a rule, few special 

 characteristics. 



Stratigraphical Bistrihdion. — The beds were divided by Mr. Lamp- 

 lugh ^ into the following main divisions in downward succession : — 



A. Claris with Belemnites miniimis, List., and allies. 



B. Zone of B. semicanaliculatus (?) and allies. 



C. Zone of B. jaculum, Phil., and varieties. 



D. Zone of B. lateralis, Phil., and varieties. 



E. Coprolitic seam. 



F. Bituminous shales with varieties of B. Otcenu, Pratt. 



^ Q.J.G.S., vol. xlv, p. 581, 1889. 



