456 ME. H. BOLTON ON A MAEINE FAUNA IN THE [Nov. I907, 



The accompanying descriptions of species include a series of notes 

 upon Productus, Chonetes, Derby a } and Ortliothetes kindly furnished 

 by Dr. A. Yaughan, to whom I am much indebted. A reference to 

 these notes will show that the brachiopod-fauna contains forms 

 identical with, or closely approximating to, species occurring in the 

 Cyaihaoconia- and Dibunophyllum-Zones. 



Notwithstanding the close similarity of the marine fauna at 

 Ashton Vale with that which occurs below the Gin Mine of North 

 Staffordshire, it does not seem desirable to conclude that the horizon 

 is the same, until further evidence of faunal development has been 

 obtained from the Bristol area — and that such evidence will be 

 forthcoming we are assured by recent work upon beds higher in 

 the series than those described in this paper. Probably further 

 discoveries will serve to link the Bristol Coalfield more closely with 

 that of South Wales, rather than with that of Stafford shire. 



Echinodermata. 



Crinoid-columnals. — A small series of crinoid-columnals occur 

 in one mass of hard black micaceous shale. Dr. F. A. Bather, to whom 

 they were submitted, describes them as 



' small elongate crinoid-columnals, with the joint-face bearing coarse radiate 

 striae, with a pentapetalous axial canal from ^ to ^ the diameter of the 

 columnal ; in one there seems to be a small cirrhous facet.' 



The columnals vary from 0*7 to 1*5 millimetres in length, and from 

 0'8 to 0*4 mm. in diameter. They are disposed in confusion over 

 an area of about one square inch, in association with Tellino- 

 morjpha(?) Hindii and Chonetes sp. 



Annelida. 



"Worm-burrows. — Obscure worm-burrows of small diameter 

 occur in several of the mudstones, and are frequently massed together. 

 They penetrate the rock at various angles to the bedding, and are 

 filled with a core much more sandy than the surrounding material. 



Spiboebis pusillus (Martin). 



A single specimen of this species was found in the * shell-bed,' 

 in association with ostracods, I'ellinoniorpTia (?) Hindii, and Lingula 

 mytiloides. The extreme smallness of the species, as well as its 

 obscurity upon the black shale, probably accounts to some degree 

 for its rarity. 



Brachiopoda. 



Lingtjla mytiloides, Sowerby. 



This species is the dominant fossil at Ashton Yale, occurring at 



