Abstracts of Papers read on Geology. 461 



(9) Notes on the Floka and Fauna of the Upper Keupek 

 Sandstones of Warwickshiee and Worcestershire. By L. J, 

 Wills, M.A., F.G.S., and W. Campbell Smith, M.A., F.G.S. 



AGrROUP of sandstones associated with green shaly marls have 

 been shown by Dr. C. A. Matley to form a more or less 

 continuous belt in the Keuper Marls in "Warwickshire, and to lie 

 about 120 to 160 feet below the Rhsetic. At the same horizon similar 

 beds form an almost unbroken outcrop through E.ipple, Longdon, 

 Pendock, and Eldersfield in South- West Worcestershire, and were 

 probably once continuous with the sandstones of Inkberrow and 

 Callow Hill, near Eedditch. 



Of the constituents, the thin-bedded sandstones are fine-grained, 

 ripple-marked, and characterized by the presence of much calcareous 

 matter and abundant rhombs of dolomite. The thicker-bedded 

 sandstones consist mainly of grains of quartz, with felspar and the 

 usual assemblage of heavy minerals in well-rounded grains ; of these 

 garnet is the most conspicuous. Close to the base of the group there 

 is frequently a conglomeratic bed (' bone-bed '), composed of fragments 

 of green marl, plants, bones, and teeth. Shales and steinmergel may 

 occur with the sandstones. 



We are able to describe for the first time from the English Trias 

 examples of the foliage and scales of the female cone of a Foltzta, 

 closely resembling V. heterophylla, of the Bunter of the Vosges, and 

 to record new occurrences of Foltzta, Schizoneura, Carpolithus, and, 

 possibly, Yuccites. 



The plants, are associated with indeterminable teeth and bones of 

 Labyrinthodonts, and with fish-remains, which are abundant in the 

 ' bone-bed ' and very rare at higher horizons. 



Fish-teeth, hitherto described as Acrodus ? Jceuperinus, are widely 

 distributed, and prove, on microscopic examination of their internal 

 structure, to be referable to Poly acrodus (Jaekel). Dorsal-fin spines 

 and cephalic spines associated with these teeth probably belong to 

 the same genus. 



Teeth similar to Phcehodus hrodiei have been found at Knowle. 

 Phcehodus, Semionotus, and Ceratodiis have all been previously described 

 from these beds. 



Cestraciont remains allied to Polyacrodus Jceuperinus are especially 

 abundant in ' bone-beds ' at the base of the Lettenkohle in Germany, 

 and its presence may be regarded as evidence of estuarine conditions. 

 Ceratodus, on the other hand, occurs frequently in the Ehaetic, 

 a deposit usually accepted as marine, but its only living ally inhabits 

 some rivers in Queensland. 



We have found Thracia ? hrodiei at Shelfield. This lamellibranch 

 was described by Mr. R. B. Newton as a truly marine form, but it is 

 only represented by rather obscure casts. 



Estheria minuta, a form that is probably never truly marine, is 

 practically ubiquitous, and occurs in both shales and sandstones. 



The fauna and flora is thus seen to be a restricted one, though 

 many specimens have been found, and their testimony on the origin 

 and age of the deposit is inconclusive. 



