AND POETLAND OOLITE OF WILTS, ETC. 557 



upper part of the deposit, and that RTiabdopJiyllia Phillipsi and 

 Latimceandrarcea corallina are found near to or at the bottom. 

 Another but much smaller opening in the Rag exists on the same 

 level, but much nearer to Highworth ; and in the mottled clay in 

 the bottom of this pit I found a prostrate and worn specimen of 

 Thecosmilia annularis, in all respects resembling those found in 

 bed No. 2. 



In a brickyard on the same road, and quite near to the town, 

 several feet of fine yellow sand passing downward into bluish clay 

 may be seen. This is the third bed of the section. 



Passing through Highworth, we come to the brickyard and 

 adjacent quarcy, which together furnished the section published by 

 Messrs. Blake and Hudleston, and which presents all the beds 

 below the true Rag which are here alluded to. Bed No. 2 con- 

 tains Thecosmilia annularis in great abundance, all the specimens 

 being much broken up and worn, and consequently prostrate. Xo 

 other species is associated with them. In the succeeding beds, 

 numbered 3, 4, and 5, there are no traces of Corals ; but in No. 6 

 the same species of Thecosmilia is very abundant, and is in the same 

 broken and rubbed state. This bed, as well as those numbered 

 7, 8, and 9, are well shown in the adjacent and recently excavated 

 road to the Highworth Railway Station, now in course of com- 

 pletion. 



Of the exposure of Coral Rag at Headington, which I have 

 visited, I regret that I can say but little, excepting to observe that 

 it contains nearly the same species of Madreporaria as the Coral 

 Rag of Highworth. The following are the species collected by me 

 at that well-known locality : — Thecosmilia annularis, Astrocoenia 

 major, Thamnastrcea concinna, and the casts of a branching Coral, 

 which may probably be referred to Rhabclophyllia Ph'dlipsi. 



It will be seen on referring to the Corals found at Highworth, 

 and comparing them with those from Headington, that the species 

 are identical, and, so far as I am able to judge, identical also with 

 those from Marcham and Cumnor. But the Coral Rag of Cam- 

 bridgeshire appears to present a different assemblage of species, and 

 the same ma) T be said of the well-known coralline deposits of 

 Steeple Ashton. 



Family ASTR&ID&. 



Subfamily Asteocoznin^;. 



Genus Astrocoenia. 



Asteoccenia majoe, n. s. Plate XXII. figs. 5 & 7. 



The corallum is massive, large, and has an expanded or len- 

 ticular form, arising from a rather broad attachment, and sloping 

 outwards and upwards to a rather thin outer margin, the upper 

 surface being a little convex or quite flat. 



It consists of rather numerous superimposed layers, without any 



