296 MM. Wilson and Crick—The Lias Maristone of Tilton. 
IJ.—Tue Lras Martstrone or Tirron, LeIcEsTERsHIre. 
By E. Witson, F.G.8., and W. D. Crick, 
With Palzontological Notes by E. Witson,, F.G.S. 
(PLATE IX.) 
HEN the new railway from Nottingham to Market Harborough 
was made, several instructive sections in the Upper and 
Middle Lias series were opened cut between the latter place and 
Tilton. Most of these are now covered up and grass-grown, but one 
of the best is still partially laid bare in the deep cutting at Tilton 
Station. This Tilton section has become one of considerable interest 
to the geologists of the Midland district, from the complete and 
characteristic exposure which it gives of the Marlstone Rock of 
Leicestershire in its fully developed and unweathered form, and also 
on account of the rich fauna which that rock, and in particular its 
top or ‘Transition Bed,’ has here yielded. 
The main purpose of this note is to present a list of these fossils 
with a detailed description of a few of them which are either new 
to the British Lias, or which have not hitherto received an adequate 
description. Before entering upon this part of our task, a very 
brief account of the stratigraphy of the district referred to will be 
desirable. A little to the south of Tilton Station the following 
section is exposed :— 
Upper Lias Suatzs: concealed in grass-grown slopes of the cutting, Ft. in. 
yielding a few fossils, e.g. Harpoceras serpentinum, Stephanocera “8 
crassum, Turbo Theodort, Trochus Northamptonensis, Leda ovum, and 
Belemnites ... Aer =a ae 350 ... about 30 0 
Mipptxz Lras: Marlstone Rock. 
‘Transition Bed’? (Middle to Upper Lias); flaggy limestone, con- 
taining Harpoceras acutum, Amaltheus spinatus, Stephanoceras commune, 
St. annulatum, etc., Nautilus truncatus, Belemnites elongatus, B. paxil- 
losus, etc., Lima pectinoides, Pecten aquivalvis, etc., many Gasteropods, 
Pleurotomaria rustica, Cryptenia expansa, Trochus lineatus, Tr. ariel, 
Cerithium (?) confusum, C. ferreum, etc. Rhynchonella tetrahedra vay. 
Northampionensis, Terebratula punctata, and fragments of fossil wood 09to0 6 
Bluish-green ferruginous limestone, finely oolitic ; "Han -poceras acutum, Ste- 
phanoceras commune, Pecten equivalvis, P. lunularis, Terebratula pune- 
tata, and Belemnites, in two blocks as dye) 
Bluish-green finely oolitic ferruginous limestone with irregular s seams of 
encrinital fragments; Pecten equivalvis, P. lunularis, and ” Belemnites, in 
three blocks ... 4 2 
Bluish-green rock, becoming locally. a “jack?” ; 1 Pecten aequivalvis, Rh. 
tetrahedra, T. punctata and Belemnites .... 36 
Greenish arenaceous rock with a ‘‘jack’’ in upper portion and nodular 
below; Rh. tetrahedra, T. punctata and Belemnites Bee 4 6 
Greenish arenaceous rock with “ jack’’ in upper half, and nodular below ; ; 
Amaltheus margaritatus, Gresslya lunulata, G. intermedia, Pleuromya 
sp., Rh. tetrahedra, and T. punctata ... 200 636 500 Poe oy cls) 
18 
Ox 
Mippiz Lias SuHates with bands of sandstone and scattered limestone 
nodules, etc., Am. margaritatus, Protocardium truncatum, Monotis 
cygnipes, Avicula inequivalvis and Leda complanata, ete. son louis} (0) 
18 feet exposed, increasing, as the beds rise, to the north. —— 
1 ««Jack,’’ a quarryman’s term for a bed of marlstone made up of an agglomera- 
tion of the shells of Ethynehonella tetrahedra and Terebratula punctata. 
