BELEMNITES OF THE OOLITE. 97 
On tHE GROUP OF LARGE COMPRESSED BELEMNITES IN THE INFERIOR OOLITE 
(Pus. XXI to XXIV). 
Belemnites ellipticus (P|. XX1) is the name given by Miller to a fine, straight, com- 
pressed species, which occurs in the Oolite of Dundry, and in the country near Yeovil and 
Bridport. 
Sowerby (in ‘ Min. Conch.,’ pl. 590, fig. 4) figures under the name of B. compressus 
of Blainville one of the several forms of large Belemnites which are frequent in the “ Grey 
Limestone,” a part of the Bath Oolite series, of Gristhorpe and other places near Scar- 
borough. Some of these fossils agree exactly with B. guinquesulcatus of Blainville as to 
the termination, others correspond with B. Aalensis of Voltz in general figure, while 
examples may be selected which seem to be identical with B. g/adius of Blainville and 
B. giganteus of Schlotheim. They do not occur in the strata above. 
In the south of England such forms are not frequent. I have, however, been favoured 
with the sight of two fine examples from the collection of Mr. Read, of Salisbury, obtained 
from near Sherborne ; and another has been sent me from Leckhampton by Mr. Buckman. 
In considering how to deal with these fossils, I remark, in the first place, that B. ed/ip- 
ticus of Miller, from Dundry, is not exactly to be matched in form and structure by any 
specimens from Yorkshire, unless a single specimen from the grey Dogger-beds of Blue 
Wick be referred to it. Next, that in specimens from Yorkshire two distinguishable 
variations appear—l, analogous to B. giganteus, B. gladius, and B. Aalensis ; 2, analo- 
gous to B. guinquesulcatus and B. compressus of Blainville. And these same forms occur in 
the south of England, so that we have three species or remarkable varieties in this group 
_ of large Belemnites to be considered. Those who regard them as varieties will still find it 
useful to preserve the distinctive names, though all may be spoken of as Belemnites gigan- 
teus, Auctorum. I begin with Belemnites ellipticus of Miller. 
BeLemnires evuipticus, Miller. Pl. XXI, fig. 53. 
Reference. B. ellipticus, Miller, ‘ Geol. Trans.,’ 2nd series, vol. ii, p. 60, pl. viii, figs. 
4—16, 1826. 
Guarp. Straight, elongate, very much compressed, gradually and uniformly tapering, 
with an almost uniformly oval section (the ventral face widest), smooth, without furrows 
except near the summit, where two or more faint lateral facettes break the regularity 
of the surface. : | 
The transverse sections of the sheath are almost uniformly oval, the ventral face being 
