﻿366 
  F. 
  G. 
  H. 
  PEICE 
  ON 
  THE 
  GAULT 
  OF 
  FOLK 
  EfcTONE, 
  

  

  EXPLANATION 
  OF 
  PLATE 
  XXV. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  1. 
  Buccinum 
  gaultinum, 
  D'Orb. 
  (large 
  specimen, 
  decorticated). 
  

   2. 
  (small 
  specimen, 
  with 
  shell 
  preserved). 
  

  

  3. 
  Natica 
  obliqua, 
  Price, 
  enlarged. 
  

  

  4. 
  Avellana 
  pulchetta, 
  Price, 
  front 
  view, 
  enlarged. 
  

   5. 
  , 
  back 
  view, 
  enlarged. 
  

  

  6. 
  Nucula 
  ovaia, 
  Mantell. 
  

  

  7. 
  Be 
  Bancei, 
  Price. 
  

  

  Discussion*. 
  

  

  The 
  Eev. 
  T. 
  Wiltshire 
  remarked 
  that 
  the 
  various 
  beds 
  were 
  fre- 
  

   quently 
  divided 
  by 
  lines 
  of 
  nodules, 
  especially 
  towards 
  the 
  bottom, 
  

   and 
  that 
  these 
  nodules 
  had 
  definite 
  forms 
  in 
  the 
  different 
  belts, 
  in 
  

   some 
  being 
  all 
  rounded, 
  in 
  others 
  radiate. 
  He 
  thought 
  it 
  was 
  very 
  

   desirable 
  to 
  ascertain 
  the 
  reason 
  of 
  this. 
  With 
  regard 
  to 
  Ammonites 
  

   rostratus, 
  he 
  stated 
  that 
  its 
  aperture 
  was 
  beaked 
  in 
  the 
  young 
  as 
  well 
  

   as 
  in 
  the 
  adult 
  state, 
  and 
  remarked 
  that 
  information 
  as 
  to 
  its 
  mode 
  

   of 
  growth, 
  and 
  especially 
  whether 
  the 
  successive 
  beaks 
  were 
  absorbed, 
  

   would 
  be 
  of 
  much 
  interest. 
  He 
  also 
  referred 
  to 
  the 
  unexplained 
  fact 
  

   that 
  a 
  bed 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  Gault 
  contains 
  both 
  shells 
  and 
  casts. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Cakkutheks 
  referred 
  to 
  the 
  discovery 
  in 
  the 
  Gault 
  of 
  Folke- 
  

   stone, 
  by 
  Messrs. 
  Gardner 
  and 
  Price, 
  of 
  cones 
  belonging 
  to 
  two 
  spe- 
  

   cies 
  of 
  Sequoia, 
  and, 
  associated 
  with 
  these, 
  some 
  species 
  of 
  Pinus, 
  

   two 
  of 
  which 
  were 
  to 
  be 
  referred 
  to 
  a 
  group 
  of 
  that 
  genus 
  at 
  present 
  

   found 
  associated 
  with 
  the 
  two 
  existing 
  species 
  of 
  Sequoia 
  on 
  the 
  

   mountains 
  of 
  western 
  North 
  America. 
  These 
  Sequoia} 
  from 
  the 
  

   Gault 
  are 
  the 
  oldest 
  known 
  representatives 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  ; 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  

   remarkable 
  that 
  they 
  should 
  be 
  thus 
  early 
  associated 
  with 
  species 
  of 
  

   the 
  same 
  group 
  of 
  Pines 
  which 
  is 
  now 
  represented 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  

   country 
  where 
  the 
  Sequoias 
  also 
  grow. 
  Mr. 
  Carruthers 
  believed 
  this 
  

   to 
  be 
  the 
  earliest 
  trace 
  of 
  the 
  geographical 
  distribution 
  of 
  plants 
  

   which 
  now 
  exist 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  earth. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Topley 
  remarked 
  that 
  the 
  lithological 
  and 
  stratigraphical 
  

   break 
  between 
  the 
  Gault 
  and 
  the 
  Neocomian 
  is 
  less 
  marked 
  than 
  is 
  

   generally 
  supposed. 
  At 
  a 
  place 
  near 
  Folkestone 
  the 
  lithological 
  

   difference 
  is 
  so 
  small 
  that 
  it 
  becomes 
  difficult 
  to 
  say 
  where 
  the 
  one 
  

   ends 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  begins. 
  At 
  Folkestone 
  the 
  highest 
  beds 
  of 
  the 
  

   Neocomian 
  are 
  false-bedded 
  sands 
  ; 
  and, 
  contrary 
  to 
  what 
  might 
  be 
  

   expected, 
  these 
  sands 
  are 
  the 
  most 
  constant 
  of 
  the 
  series, 
  always 
  

   occurring 
  where 
  the 
  Neocomian 
  is 
  represented 
  below 
  the 
  Gault. 
  As 
  

   the 
  Gault 
  is 
  traced 
  westwards 
  we 
  come 
  to 
  places 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  difficult 
  

   to 
  discern 
  any 
  difference 
  between 
  it 
  and 
  the 
  Neocomian. 
  He 
  stated 
  

   that 
  Prof. 
  Way 
  had 
  fouud 
  the 
  exterior 
  of 
  the 
  nodules 
  to 
  contain 
  

   more 
  phosphate 
  of 
  lime 
  than 
  the 
  interior, 
  which 
  seemed 
  to 
  indicate 
  

   that 
  the 
  phosphate 
  came 
  from 
  without. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Chakleswoeth 
  doubted 
  whether 
  the 
  fossil 
  egg, 
  if 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  

   Crocodile, 
  could 
  be 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  living 
  species. 
  With 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  

  

  * 
  This 
  discussion 
  also 
  relates 
  to 
  Mr. 
  Meyer's 
  paper 
  " 
  On 
  the 
  Cretaceous 
  

   Rocks 
  of 
  Beer 
  Head." 
  

  

  