415 



an almost perfect identity of character and order of position prevailed 

 at the two localities *. 



The author, in alluding to the fossils of the great oolite, remarks 

 on the important changes which are effected by removing the Stones- 

 field slate from the forest marble to the bottom of the great oolite. 



Forest marble. — The Bradford clay, which separates the great oolite 

 from the forest marble in Wiltshire, was observed only in the most 

 southern part of Gloucestershire. Of the forest marble itself, the 

 survey afforded no new characters. It was found to consist of a thick 

 stratum of laminated shelly oolite, interposed between beds of sandy 

 clay, containing laminae of grit ; and to have, from Bath to near 

 Fairford, for its uppermost stratum, a deposit of loose sand, contain- 

 ing large masses of calcareous grit. 



Cornbrash. — This formation consists, through nearly the whole of 

 its range, of a thin deposit of rubbly, hard, compact limestone ; but 

 in the neighbourhood of Malmsbury it is composed of thick strata of 

 crystalline limestone, alternating at their lower extremity with beds 

 of sand, and surmounted by a stratum of sandy clay, containing la- 

 minae of grit. 



The author, in conclusion, notices four faults which affect all the 

 strata from the lias to the forest marble : they occur at Stow-on-the- 

 Wold ; Clapton, near Bourtonon-the- Water; Brookhampton, near 

 Cheltenham ; and between Tetbury and Cirencester. 



January 9, 1833. — Mr. Justice Bosanquet was elected a Fellow of 

 this Society. 



An Essay, entitled " Observations on Coal," by W. Hutton, Esq. 

 F.G.S. was first read. 



The author was led to the observations contained in this essay by 

 pursuing the method of microscopic examination which has been so 

 successfully employed by Mr. Witham. On examining, with the mi- 

 croscope, one of the thin slices of coal in which Mr. Witham lately 

 discovered a distinct vegetable texture, the attention of the author 

 was excited by the remarkable appearance of several cells in that 

 part of the coal where the texture of the original plant could not be 

 distinguished. Tempted to extend the inquiry, he procured an exten- 



* The following table contains Dr. Fitton's accurate enumeration of the 

 beds of Stonesfield (see Zoological Journal, vol. Hi.), and a list of those 

 wrought at the Windrush quarries near Burford. 



Burford. 



Top. Rubbly limestone 1 foot. 



Brownish marlstone ... 6 feet. 



Rubbly limestone 4 feet. 



Pale sandy marl 3 feet. 



Rubbly marlstone ^ foot. 



Light-coloured clay ... | foot. 

 Rag and freestone 15 feet. 



Sandy laminated grit. 



Stonesfield. 

 Top. Rubbly limestone. 

 Clay. 



Limestone. 

 Blue clay. 

 Oolite. 

 Blue clay. 

 Rag, oolitic limestone. 



Sandy bed, containing the slate. 



The author states that he was indebted to Mr. Greenough for the first 

 suggestion that the slate of Gloucestershire would prove to be the equiva- 

 lent of the slate of Stonesfield. 



