336 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY [Jliue 15, 



the oolite above ; but where the slaty character is wantins,', the oolite 

 reposes either on the subjacent sands or the ferruginous beds. The 

 best points for their examination are near Kirby and Dene Park, 

 Barnack, Easton, Collyweston, and Morcot. 



[The most abundant fossils are the Gervillia acuta. Sow., Tri- 

 f/onia Moretonis, Pecten j)ersonatus1, a species of Cardium, and the 

 Pteroceras Bentleyi, of the last of which beautiful specimens have 

 been obtained by Miss Thompson, of Stamford. A tine species of 

 Astropeeten has recently been found in the slaty beds at Stamford 

 by Mr. S. Sharp of that town. The Lingida Beani, Phil., occurs with 

 Pecopteris poly2)odiuides, in the same beds at Edith Weston.] 



The importance of a clear understanding of the relative position 

 of this slaty bed at the base of the white oolite series will be fully 

 understood, when it is stated that a contrary opinion has been enter- 

 tained and published, in which the loiver marly series of the white 

 oolite beds of this district are stated to be inferior to the slate-beds, 

 and are arranged with the inferior oolite*. 



Knowing the anomaly and feeling the difficulty of the subject, and 

 admitting the existence of certain species in the lower marly series 

 which are found in the inferior oolite of the West of England (more 

 especially in the middle beds), as Natica cincta, Phil. =iY. Leckhamp- 

 tonensis, Lycett, Pholadomya fidicida, Sow., Ceromya concentrica. 

 Sow. sp., NerincBa triplicata, N. longiuscida, Bean, sp. = iV. cin- 

 genda, Phil, not Sow., Modiola plicata, Clyj)eus sinuatus, and some 

 others, — I have taken some pains to examine the locality, and have 

 found some or other of these specimens in situ and above the slate- 

 beds in many places, as near Morcot, Collyweston, Barnack, and 

 Stamfordf. These lower beds, which may generally be distinguished 

 from the upper by the greater quantity of marl contained in them, 

 form the chief part of the Little Ponton Cutting ; these strata contahi 

 and are chai'acterized by the occurrence of the Myadse, as Pholadomya, 

 Panopcea, and Ceromya, &c., with occasional zones of large branched 



* See on this point a communication by the Rev. P. B. Brodie to the Cottes- 

 wolds Naturalists' Chib. . 



+ At Tinkler's Quarry and the adjoining lands near Stamford, a typical series of 

 the whole district may he observed. In a higher part of the hill the stratified 

 and bituminous clays, with the ferruginous band, may be observed overlying the 

 freestones (Ketton and Casterton) ; the lower parts of the freestones form the top 

 of the quarry : below which, com])act oolitic rock, few shells, 2 feet : concretionary 

 compact marly oolite, full of shells and zones of corals, 4 feet ; the bottom more 

 compact ; the upper part marly, and decomposes more rapidly, containing shells 

 in greater abundance : compact, hard, shelly oolitic rock, Nerincea, &c., 2^ feet : 

 compact oolitic rock, somewhat crystalline, 1^ foot : shaly bed, irregular lami- 

 nated fragments of plants, and many compressed shells, Lucina,Pecten, &c., 2 feet : 

 Stamford marble, very compact marly limestone, full of shells and corals, Ner-i- 

 niBa abundant, 2-2 feet : indurated, somewhat marly rock, 3 feet : compact rock, 

 1^ foot : compact, marly, coarsely-grained oolitic rock, 2\ feet : fine-grained 

 oolitic rock, 1 foot : cream-coloured marly rock, with Nerincsa, abundant, Lima, 

 Terehratula, Isocardia, Modiola, Lueina, &c., 1^ foot : coarse ooUtic rock, 2 to 

 26 feet : probably resting on the sands with slaty beds, which have been found in 

 sinking lower down the hill, overlying the ferruginous rock which covers the 

 upper lias. 



