94 Correqiondence — Mr. John W. Eltces. 



The mass which h'es to the east and terminates at Roche Castle 

 does not present sufficient similarity to these to be included in the 

 same description. The Eoche-Castle rock, however, instead of being 

 bedded, was originally andesitic or trachytic. the felspar crystals 

 having been replaced by pseudomorj)hous quartz. 



Attention was drawn to the highly acid character of the whole 

 series, and the small size of the centres of eruption, and it was 

 suggested that such centres have continually decreased in number 

 and increased in magnitude during geological time. 

 • 2. " On further Discoveries of Vertebrate Remains in the Triassic 

 Strata of the South Coast of Devonshire, between Budleigh Salterton 

 and Sidmouth." By A. T. Metcalf, Esq., F.G.S. 



The author gave a brief stratigraphical account of the Triassic 

 rocks of the coast. He then described some vertebrate remains, 

 consisting chiefly of poi'tions of jaw-bones with teeth in line, pro- 

 bably of Labyrinthodonts, found in the Upper Sandstones (Ussher's 

 classification) at High Peake Hill, near Sidmouth, by H, J, Carter, 

 Esq., F.R.S. At numerous places between Budleigh Salterton and 

 Sidmouth Mr. Carter and the author had found a large number of 

 isolated bone fragments. Such fragments had been submitted to a 

 microscopical examination by Mr. Carter. In some specimens the 

 bone structure was visible throughout ; in some the bony portion 

 had been partially removed and replaced by an infiltration of mineral 

 matter ; in others the removal of the bony portion was complete. 

 From these facts the author drew the conclusion that a comparative 

 abundance of vertebrate life was maintained during the Triassic 

 period ; and that the rareness of Triassic fossils was due not so much 

 to the paucity of animal life during that period as to the fact that 

 Triassic strata afforded no suitable conditions for the preservation 

 of organic remains. 



coI^I^:Es:po^^ZD:E^s3-G:E. 



THE MIDDLE HEADON MAEINE BED. 



Sir, — I do not know why Mr. S. V. Wood should think it strange 

 that I have repeated Mr. Keeping's statement, as to the Middle 

 Headon bed at Hordle, described in former years, not having been 

 in situ. 



Mr. Searles Wood, senior, described the bed he saw, and then left 

 the locality. Mr. Keeping resided at Milford for many years within 

 a mile of the spot, and he relates that he saw this portion of the bed 

 worked out. Had the seam been continuous, and not a detached 

 mass, why should he have been unable to follow it horizontally into 

 the clifi'? Instead of doing this, Mr. Keeping states that he went to 

 a higher level, and dug down on to the bed through the gravel talus. 

 This operation he has repeated this autumn, and the readiness and 

 accuracy with which he selected the spot for the digging, sinking 

 a pit directly down on what appeared to be the edge of the bed 

 formerly exposed by him, convinced me of the truth of his views. 



