94 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [JaU. 8, 



This neat and delicate variety of Nummulina planulata, Lamarck, 

 sp., has long been known in a clay containing much green sand, at 

 .\liim Bay, Isle of Wight (lower part of the bed ' No. 29 ' of Mr. 

 Piestwich's Section, Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. ii. p. 257, jjI. 9. 

 fig. 1.) ; but it has not hitherto been described *. It is near to MM. 

 d'Archiac and Hairae's * Nimimidites planulata, var. a,' from Jette, 

 Belgium t ; but the latter has a biconvex centre (opake when 

 mounted in balsam), has narrower whorls (in the proportion of 1 to 

 4, instead of 1| to 4), and grows to a somewhat larger size. To 

 distinguish oiu' variety (which characterizes a well-marked geological 

 zone), I propose to give it the name of Prestwichiana ; and, as the 

 small biconvex variety of Nummulina planulata passes binomially as 

 N. variolaria, so this smaU depressed variety of the same species may 

 be allowed to stand on a similar footing, and be known as N. Prest- 

 wichiana, 



In the sandy clay-bed at Alum Bay the sheUs of this little Nummu- 

 lite are very numerous, and often well preserved, but not unfrequently 

 much crushed by pressure. In many specimens, especially large 

 ones, the chambers are occupied by iron-pyrites ; and neat casts 

 may be obtained by carefully dissolving the shell in weak dilute 

 acid. In the clay at High CHif the shells are not so numerous, are 

 very much compressed, and so highly pyritized that they are readily 

 destroyed by the atmosphere. 



January 8, 1862. 



Charles Sturtirant Wood, Esq., Geological Siu^ey of Otago, New 

 Zealand; Robert Harris Valpy, Esq., Enborne, near Newbury ; and 

 WilUam Shepherd Horton, Esq., 10 Church Street, Liverpool, were 

 elected EeUows. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. On the Carboniferous Limestone of Oreton and Farlow, Clee 

 Hills, Shropshire. By Prof. John Morris, V.P.G.S., and Mr. 

 George E. Roberts. With a Description of a Neiu Pterichthys; 

 by Sir Philip de M. G. Egerton, Bart., M.P., F.R.S., F.G.S. 

 [Plate III.] 



Contents. 



1. Geographical Position of the Series. 



2. Relation of the Yellow Sandstone to the Carboniferous Limestone. 



3. Nature and Character of the Carboniferous Limestone. 



4. Its Fossil Contents. 



§ 1. The general physical and palieontological features of the small 

 district referred to in these notes having been carefully and clearly 



* ^'- Nummulites losvigatus and N. elegans^^ are incorrectly referred to as occur- 

 ring in this bed, No. 2i), op. cit. p. 257. 



t See 'Foss. de I'lnde,' pp. 143, 144; and also Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. 

 viii. p. 333, note. 



