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IX. — On the Distribution of Organic Remains in the Strata of the Yorkshire 

 Coast, from the Upper Sandstone to the Oxford Clay inclusive. 



By W. C. WILLIAMSON, Esq. 



[Read May 9, 1838.] 



In two former papers read before the Members of the Geological Society*, I 

 described the distribution of fossil remains in the strata from the Lower Lias to the 

 Bath Oolite inclusive. I now continue the series in the same ascending order. 

 Next in succession, after the Bath Oolite, is the 



Upper Sandstone and Shale of Phillips. 



These sandstones and shales vary so greatly, that it would be impossible to form 

 any detailed section equally applicable to all points of the coast. This however 

 becomes of less importance, since the removal of the fossiliferous shales of Gris- 

 thorpe Bay from the stratum under notice to the Great Oolite has left few fossils 

 remaining to the upper sandstone f. 



This formation first appears at Gristhorpe Bay, but it is there of compara- 

 tively inconsiderable thickness. The sandstones forming the point and southern 

 side of Ewe Nab seem to correspond with the lower portion of the Gristhorpe 

 deposits supposed to be enclosed within the upper beds of the Bath oolite ; but 

 on the north side of the point, the same fault which so suddenly terminates 

 the Crinoidal ironstone, as described in my last paper J, also cuts off these sand- 

 stones. This fault has a downcast throw of at least 200 feet, for we find the beds 

 of the true upper sandstone and shale at the low water mark ; whilst the blue clays, 

 corresponding with those of Oxford, are on the same level with the upper portions 

 of the Bath oolite, the intervening rocks being exhibited on the scar. From this 

 point the true carboniferous sandstones rise towards White Nab, where they overlie 

 the argillaceous shelly beds constituting the top of the Bath oolite, as described 

 in my last memoir (p. 234), and continue in the form of a series of variable sand- 



* See vol. V. p. 223. f Ibid., p. 234. 



\ Ibid., p. 234, where, by mistake, the fault is said to be on the south side of the point. 



