52 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [Jail. 5, 



particular epocli, it appears desirable to record this discovery of an 

 Elytron in the Kimmeridge Clay on the coast of Dorset * . Geologists 

 are now generally well acquainted with the fine section afforded by 

 the cliffs at Ringstead bay, near Weymouth, formerly well known as 

 " the burning cliff." In the upper part of the cliff, not far from its 

 junction with the Portland Sand, the Kimmeridge Clay is traversed 

 by a bed of yellow, sandy, laminated stone, about 2 feet thick, con- 

 taining Fish-scales and teeth of a species o{ Hybodus, which reminded 

 me strongly in its lithological characters of the "fish bed" in the 

 Upper Lias. This is succeeded by thick strata of dark-coloured 

 shale and clay, containing large blocks of septaria, in one of which 

 I discovered a striated Elytron of a small Beetle. Many shells are 

 dispersed throughout these argillaceous beds, among which may be 

 enumerated several species of Ammonites, with the bright pearly 

 lustre beautifully preserved, Cardium, Area, Leda, Orbicula, Lingula, 

 and Aptychus, &c. Lower down there are some smaller nodules of 

 limestone, which afford several minute species of Univalves and a few 

 LingulcB. The strata at the base of the cliff on the shore, as they 

 approach the Coral Rag, become more sandy and coarser, and yield 

 many species common to the latter ; indeed, there appears to be a 

 considerable difference between the fossils of the upper and lower 

 part of the Kimmeridge Clay at this spot. 



In a deposit containing an assemblage of organic remains so 

 decidedly marine, we cannot expect relics of Insects to be usually 

 very abundant except in a few favoured localities, but, however rare, 

 the fact of the existence of Insect life at this period of the upper 

 Oolitic series is evident. Within the last few years considerable 

 additions t have been made to our knowledge on this subject, and 

 remains of Insects are now known to be widely and extensively 

 distributed throughout many formations of very different age, in 

 greater or less abundance. 



With regard to other organic remains lately obtained from the Kim- 

 meridge Clay, — in the collection of Mr. Groves, stationer, at Wareham, 

 I noticed portions of one or more species of large fish, which appear to 

 be new, the most perfect having the head and fragments of the body 

 attached;;!;. Some large Ostrecs, Atnmonites, Cardium, Rostellaria, 

 and other shells, and a fine Sepia, are associated with them. They 

 were obtained in the black, bituminous shale at Kimmeridge. On 

 the coast hereabouts a magnificent paddle of a Pliosaurus was lately 

 discovered, and is now deposited in the Museum at Dorchester. The 

 animal to which it belonged must have been of enormous size, and 

 from the perfect state of the bones, in all probability the entire ske- 

 leton is preserved in the cliff. 



* The specimen was unfortunately broken, and consequently is too imperfect 

 to admit of its being figured or described. 



t Among these may be mentioned the Elytra in the Bagshot Sands, noticed in 

 another communication to the Society, and the more recent discovery of Elj'tra of 

 Insects in the Hastings Sand, in the Isle of Wight, by Prof. E. Forbes. Some insect 

 remains have also been procured from the Cretaceous series in Germany. 



t Sir P. Egerton has lately seen these fossil fish, and he informs me that they 

 are all ne^y. 



