L. Richardson — Lias Sections, Batconihe, Somerset. 541 



its precise position, because the topographical information is none too 

 detailed, but it certainly comes within the area mapped as Upper Lias, 

 if not actually on the Inferior Oolite. I have not investigated the 

 hill above Small Down with a view to mapping the distribution of the 

 various beds, but it appears as though the deposits mapped as Midford 

 Sands are really the " sandy beds" of the Middle Lias; the Inferior 

 Oolite, the Marlstone ; the Lower Fuller's Earth, the Upper Lias 

 (clays and limestones and sands) ; and the Puller's-Earth Rock, 

 Inferior Oolite. The beds on the top of the hill have a north-north- 

 easterly inclination, dipping down towards the great fault that has so 

 conspicuously depressed the beds to the north of it, and whose westerly 

 continuation is the probable cause of the Marlstone of Maes Down 

 being on about the same level as the Inferior Oolite to the north. 



Small- Down Quarry. 



Thickness in 

 ft. in . 



Lilli 



Bifrontis 3 a 



I Limestone, rubbly, earthy, "j 

 J brownish, with dark- ]. 

 I browniron-specks: seen J 



Parting .... 



[ Limestone, bluish - grey ^ 

 I and brownish, with (_ 

 1 dark-brown ferruginous I 

 \ granules J 



3i Parting 



1 



01 



1 10 



0.1 





36" Limestone, similar to 3fl . 8 



Fahiferi 



Clay, dark-purplish, with 

 rolled fragments of am- 

 monites common at the 



J I 



?Falciferi 5 



Limestone, brownish-grey, 

 somewhat sparsely iron- 

 shot, in lenticular no- 

 dule-shaped masses, and 

 often in two layersfitting 

 into the irregularities of 

 the Marlstone 



Clay : to 1 inch . 



IMarlstone : seen 



Hildoceras semipolitum , 

 S. Buckman, Rhy)i- 

 chonella cf. Jfoorei, 

 Davidson, Bdonnites 

 spp. 



Hildoceras hilde)ise, 

 (Young & Bird),iVff«- 

 tdus 'sp., Belemnites 

 spp., Astarte sp., 

 Huuiites velatns^ 

 Goldfuss. 



{Harpoceras elegans 

 (J. Sowerby),i>rtc<2/^w- 

 ceras cf . vermis 

 (Simpson) , Belemnites. 

 Marjjoceras cf. exarattim 

 (Y. & B.), H. cf. 

 falciferum (J. Sow.), 

 Rhynchonella jurensis 

 (Quen&tedt) . 



6 



1 



f Dactylioceras gracUe^ 

 \ (Simpson) 



(Belemvites, very common 

 in the top layer: usual 

 fossils. 



A comparison of this section with that at Maes Down will show the 

 similarity of the deposits ; the dark-purplish clay-bed being an easily- 

 identifiable horizon. At Small Down there is a higher bed exposed 

 than any at Maes Down, and the ammonite Hildoceras semipolitum, 

 S. Buckman, shows that it is of Lilli hemera. 



The quarry at Westcombe displays a long face of Marlstone capped 

 with a few feet of Upper Lias. Probably it was from here that the 



