Vol. 63.] MARINE FAUNA IX THE ERISTOL COALFIELD. 4-15 



28. On a Marine Fauna in the Basement-Beds of the Bristol 

 Coalfield. By Herbert Bolton, F.R.S.E., F.G.S., Curator of 

 the Bristol Museum of Natural History. (Bead June 5th, 

 1907.) 



[Plate XXX— Fossils.] 



Contexts. 



Page 



I. Introduction 445 



II. The Lower Seams of the Bristol Coal-Measures, and their 



Eeiation to the Millstone Grit 446 



III. The Millstone-Grit Series 451 



IV. Detailed Section of the Strata, from the ' Bed Ash' or 'Little 



Vein ' to the end of the Exploration-Branch 453 



V. Palseontological Description 454 



I. Introduction. 



The failure to discover anything in the nature of a definite fauria 

 in the Bristol Coalfield has long been a well-known and somewhat 

 remarkable fact. Isolated and rare fossils have been occasionally 

 discovered, but the list of genera and species hitherto recorded is a 

 short one, and not sufficiently representative to be in any sense 

 distinctive, either of any horizon, or of the coalfield as a whole. 

 Thirty years ago, W. W. Stoddart, 1 who had a wide knowledge 

 of the Coal-Measures, stated that he had not met with animal- 

 remains of any description. Still earlier, however, 2 John Morris 

 had recorded the occurrence of bivalve mollusca (Anthracqptera?) 

 in the coal-shale at Twerton, near Bath ; while, from bituminous 

 shale at Nailsea, he obtained Estheria striata, var. Beinertiana, and 

 an imperfect cast of Beyrichia arcuata (?). From the roof of the 

 AVhite Seam of Youngwood Pit, Nailsea, were obtained Kirkhya 

 costata and a species of Gythere. In shale at 200 feet above the 

 White Seam was observed an ostracod, closely resembling Gythere 

 fabulina. The same note states that Mr. J. McMurtrie, F.G.S., 

 recorded the occurrence at Camerton of several specimens of bivalve 

 shells (Anthracosia ?) and two specimens of Limulus, all of which 

 had been found by Mr. E. Feare. The Limulus in question was, I 

 believe, Prestivichia rotundata. Some years ago two other speci- 

 mens of the same species were found : one at Radstock, which is now 

 in the possession of Mr. J. McMurtrie ; and the other at Clandown 

 Colliery, which is in the possession of Mr. J. "W. Tutcher. 3 



1 ' Geology of the Bristol Coalfield ' Proc. Bristol Nat. Soc. n. s. vol. i 

 (1875-76) p. 349. 



2 Geol. Mag. vol. v (1868) pp. 356-57. 



3 Dr. Wheelton Hind has also recorded the occurrence of Anthracomya 

 Phillipsii from Coalpit Heath, Bristol, from a dark shale at Kingswood Deep 

 Pit, immediately to the north of Bristol, and from the Speedwell Colliery, 

 Gloucestershire (Paleeont. Soc. Monograph on Carhonicola, Anthracomya, & 

 Naiadites, pt. ii, 1895, p. 121). 



