Reports and Proceedings — Geological Society of London. 237' 



Geological Society op London. 



I.— Marcli 7tb, 1906.— Sir Archibald Geikie, D.C.L., Sc.D., Sec.R.S., 

 President, in the Chair. The following communications were 

 read : — 



1. "On the occurrence of Limestone of the Lower Carboniferous 

 Series in the Cannock Chase portion of the South Staffordshire Coal- 

 field." By George Marmaduke Cockin, F.G.S. 



Silurian limestone underlies the Coal-measures in the southern 

 part of the South Staffordshire Coalfield, and a rock, probably 

 similar, was found in a borehole at No. 2, Cannock Chase Colliery. 

 A shaft was sunk some 30 years ago, about 5 miles north of the 

 latter locality, at No. 1, Fair Oak, but was abandoned, as no work- 

 able coal-seam was found. Before the undertaking was abandoned, 

 an exploration heading was driven for 44 yards in the direction of the 

 dip, and from it heads along the strike for 150 yards. In the waste- 

 heaps, which have remained undisturbed since 1875, a number of 

 fossils belonging to the Lower Carboniferous Limestone have 

 been found. A fault must be presumed to bring Carboniferous 

 Limestone into such a position as to be reached by the headings. 

 About 1^ miles north-west of Fair Oak, rocks (determined by 

 Mr. Walcot Gibson as Millstone Grit) were reached by a boring at 

 396 yards. An account of the strata pierced by the Fair Oak boring 

 is appended. 



2. " Liassic Dentaliidse." By Linsdall Eichardson, F.G.S. 



Among the fossils collected in the cuttings on the new Honey- 

 bourne and Cheltenham Railway were many belonging to the family 

 Dentaliidge ; and as the majority are new, the author has investigated 

 the Liassic members of the family contained in his own collections 

 and in those of numerous museums. The growth of the Scaphopod 

 shell is effected by additions at the anterior end, while the posterior 

 end suffers by wear and absorption. The members of this class are 

 essentially marine, inhabiting deep water, and feeding principally on 

 Foraminifera. The word Dentaliiim is used in the broad sense, and 

 not in the restricted sense of a shell with strong longitudinal costee. 

 Eight new species are described, and eight species already known 

 are discussed. 



II.— March 21st, 1906. — Aubrey Strahan, M.A., F.R.S., Vice- 

 President, in the Chair. The following communications were 

 read : — 



1. " The Chalk and Drift in Moen." By the Kev. Edwin Hill, 

 M.A., F.G.S. 



