216 W. J. HARRISON ON THE OCCTJRREXCB 



rapidly along the crest of the hill, prevents further investigation. 

 The existence, however, of beds higher in the series is shown by the 

 occurrence of blocks of limestone in the drift, with Monotis decussata 

 and Anoplophora musculoides. 



I have found further traces of the Rhaetics at a point about a mile 

 north of the Spinney Hills, near the site of the Borough Asylum ; 

 and I believe Mr. R. Etheridge, E.R.S., has noted their occurrence 

 at a spot about 9 miles further north between Barrow and Sileby. 

 I noted them here during the widening of the Midland main line in 

 1873, and the section is mentioned by Mr. H. B. Woodward (Geol. 

 Mag. 1874, p. 480). 



Still further to the north-east the same beds have been cut through 

 near Stanton by the railway now in course of construction from 

 Nottingham to Melton ; but here, again, the higher Rhaetic beds seem 

 to have been much denuded. The nearest southern exposure seems 

 to be at Copt Heath, near Knowle, in Warwickshire, as noted by the 

 Rev. P. B. Brodie (Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xxx. p. 746). 



In the deep boring for water at Rugby the Rhaetics were reached 

 at a depth of about 450 feet. The black shales were there 8 feet 

 thick, and the hard sandy marls beneath about 10 feet. 



Although good sections of the Rhaetic beds are rare in Leicester- 

 shire, yet the line of outcrop of the strata can be clearly traced from 

 Leicester northwards, forming the eastern boundary of the Soar 

 valley, and varying from a quarter to about half a mile in width. 

 Southwards the great thickness of drift makes an exact tracing 

 difficult. 



At Crown Hill (fig. 2) I have lately detected, in the preliminary 

 works for the Great Northern line from Melton to Leicester, certain 

 beds of limestone, called in Warwickshire the "Firestones" and 

 " Guineas/' wljich mark the passage of the Rhaetics into the Lower 

 Lias, together with a thi^.k bed which is probably true White Lias. 

 The cutting here will, I believe, exhibit a very interesting series of 

 beds, and enable us to trace the succession for a long way up. 



Wherever the true junction of the Lias and Trias is exposed in 

 this country, the Rhsetic beds appear to be invariably present. In 

 1874 I examined a fine section exposed in widening the Midland 

 main line between Leicester and Wigston, which seemed to contra- 

 dict this ; Lower Lias Shales and Limestones, with Ammonites 

 planorbis, appeared to be resting on Upper Keuper Marls. A close 

 examination of the latter, however, showed them to be recomposed 

 stuff; the Rhaetics had been eroded, probably by glacial action, and 

 their place filled with transported material. 



I am much indebted to the Rev. P. B. Brodie, Messrs. W. H. 

 Hudleston, W. Davies, L. C. Miall, C. Moore, and others, for their 

 kind assistance in the determination of specimens. 



The students in my science classes, especially Messrs. J. E. Elgood, 

 J. R. Plant, L. H. Llewellyn, and W. J. Harrison, jun., have ren- 

 dered valuable aid in searching the beds. 



