THE COEALLIAN ROCKS OF ENGLAND. 287 



red, which may most probably be due to their having been covered 

 by the ferruginous clays. 



Tracing the coral-beds to the S.W. no more can be seen of them ; 

 but when we reach East Ashton in that direction, and run a traverse 

 from a pit of rubbly oolite, seen near that village, to the outcrop of 

 the Kimmeridge clay, we find abundant surface indications between 

 the two at " Broad Mead," not, indeed, of a coral reef, but of a 

 shell-bank, in which one, at least, of the corals, Tliecosmilia 

 annularis, occurs, the matrix of the shells being a red-coated 

 calcareous grit, recalling much of the appearance of the corals 

 themselves. This we consider the continuation of the coral reef 

 under a changed aspect. Such a phenomenon we might expect, 

 and find too, repeatedly, elsewhere. The fossils obtained from this 

 field by a local geologist include : — ■ 



Ammonites plicatilis (Sow.). 

 Natica corallina (Bam.). 

 Trigonia clavellata (Sow.), var. 



Perna ruytiloides (Lam.). 

 Lima elliptica (Whit.). 

 Pecten intertextus (Bom.). 



Cidaris florigemma does not appear to occur here ; and it is 

 absent from the whole neighbourhood south of Seend. The other 

 fossils indicate a rather early date for this reef — though, if two 

 other fossils, Rliynchonella corallina and Terebratula subsella, are 

 rightly determined, later beds must be present here also. 



The rubbly oolite, of which more than 12 feet are seen in a lime-pit 

 on the high road leading south from the village, is a succession 

 of marly pisolites and harder beds of similar but more compact 

 material. The fossils are all worn, and covered with a coating of 

 calcareous matter. They include Chemnitzia Jieddingtonensis, Opis 

 Phillipsi, Pecten qualicosta, a clavellate Trigonia, Ostrea gregaria, 

 and Exogyra nana. The false-bedding of these rocks is very re- 

 markable : the false dip of the lower 8 feet is to the north-east, at 

 an angle of 12°. These are planed off, and a series of thinner false 

 beds cover them, which dip in a direction at right angles to the 

 first at an angle of 4°. The lower beds of calcareous grit may be 

 seen in the road-sides to the west of East Ashton, but present no 

 points of interest. 



These two districts, Westbury and Steeple Ashton, though inter- 

 esting, each for their only particular products, show a very meagre 

 development of Corallian beds as a whole ; but their area is sepa- 

 rated from the main range by a narrow band, in which only the 

 lower beds occur, as is seen at Seend. Here a fine section, well 

 described by Lonsdale, has long been exposed, where the furnaces 

 for the Neocomian iron-ore stand. It is entirely in the Lower 

 Calcareous Grit, of which 25 feet are seen, and more is indicated in 

 the neighbourhood. This part of the series is here exceptionally 

 fossiliferous, the greater number of fossils coming from a shell-band 

 near the top ; but Ammonites cordatus and Gervillla aviculoides 

 characterize the lower portion. Our list from the shell-band is : — 



