﻿494 THE PH0SPHAT1C CHALE OF TAPLOW. [Aug. I905, 



and puzzling piece of work had been carried out with a marked 

 degree of skill and care. He felt that the results obtained were a 

 triumph for the zonal method and for scientific collecting. The 

 failure of Mr. Sfcrahan and Mr. Jukes-Browne to obtain any zonal 

 results that carried conviction with them was due to inadequate 

 collecting. 



The speaker noted the fact that, although the two divisions of the 

 Marsupites -Zone were so abnormally thin, the zoological sequence was 

 perfect, and that Actinocamax verus was associated with Uintacrinus 

 and A. granulatus with Marsupites. He remarked on the wonderful 

 number of the belemnites found in this small thickness of Chalk, and 

 stated that no similar thickness of Chalk in his experience had 

 yielded so great a quantity. The belemnites showed progressive 

 ' reefing' of the alveolar cavity as the beds were taken in an ascending 

 series ; but there was no example, even in the highest beds, that could 

 be truly called Actinocamax quadratics. Echinocorys here exhibited 

 quite an abnormal facies ; for the series is notably dwarfed, and as a 

 whole does not exhibit the shape- variations which are so distinctive 

 of horizons in the South of England. The pyramidal shape-variation 

 always found in the Harsupites-ZoiiG was present at that level, but 

 was singularly rare. 



In conclusion, the speaker pointed out that the Authors had 

 understated the difficulties of the work. He had seen all the 

 fossils, and one of the chief difficulties lay in their fragmentary 

 state and poor preservation. He had, however, no hesitation in 

 stating that, in his opinion, the horizons fixed by the Authors were 

 accurate, for they were based on definite zoological evidence. 



Mr. Osbokne White, in reply to Mr. Strahan, outlined the 

 evidence for the synclinal origin of the Taplow Phosphate-basin, to 

 which, and to some other important points, the small space of time 

 available for the reading of the paper had permitted only the briefest 

 allusion. On Mr. Treacher's behalf, and his own, he thanked the 

 previous speakers for the appreciative tone of their remarks. 



