Vol. 5 I.J OP THE MID-COTTESWOLDS. 393 



affects the validity of every published list of fossils — those given by 

 Stroud geologists must be rejected ; it prevents a true understanding 

 of the stratigraphical sequence in the Cotteswolds, while it entirely 

 falsifies correlation with other districts and with the Continent. 



Before proceeding further it will be advisable to describe the cha- 

 racters of the deposits in question : that is to say, of the ' intervening 

 beds ' between Stroud and Leckhampton. 



The Notgrove Oolite. — A deposit of whitish oolitic limestone, 

 generally unfossiliferous, only found at certain localities in the 

 above district capping the Gryphite-grit, and then denuded very 

 considerably. 



The Gryphite-grit. — Bagstone-beds which yield latumbilicate 

 Witchellice, and Sonninice of the fissilobata-ovalis type. At Leck- 

 hampton and other places they are very crowded with Gryphcece, 

 which have a large ' wing ' ; but what are assumed to be contem- 

 poraneous deposits at Stroud show no Gryjohcece, and are very 

 sandy. 



The Buckmani-^r^. — Bagstones yielding Terebratula Buclcmani 

 and ' T. Buckmaniana.' At Leckhampton they are sandy, and con- 

 tain few Gryphcece in comparison with the Gryphite-grit. 1 At Stroud 

 Hill some gryphseiferous beds are probably contemporaneous here- 

 with, and not with the Gryphite-grit. 



The LoiverTrigoiiia-grit. — Bagstones which yield various species 

 of Hildoceratidse, such as Lioceras intermedium and Hyperliocerata ; 

 also Aulacothyris Meriani, and a very considerable number of 

 lameUibranchiata. 



It will be seen, then, that in regard to position the Gryphite- 

 grit is above, and the Lower Trigonia-grit below, the deposit yielding 

 Terebratula Buclcmani and allies ; that when ammonites are found 

 tbe former furnishes Sonnininse, and the latter Hildoceratidse 2 ; and 

 that by the species obtained they can be correlated with different 

 deposits of other districts, which occupy the same relative position 

 to each other. Having placed these facts in a clear light, it will be 

 advisable to examine the strata of the district in detail. 



The sequence of strata leading up to the Upper Trigonia-grit is, 

 so far as we know yet, imperfect in the Cotteswolds ; and therefore 

 the Upper Trigonia-grit lies non-sequentially on earlier deposits. 

 In some cases the gap is very great. In the neighbourhood of Bath 

 the Upper Trigonia-grit rests on strata which were deposited 

 during a rjre-Murchisonce hemera. Coming northwards it is found 

 to rest on strata which, from their position — palseontological evidence 

 in the beds themselves is deficient — are considered to have been 



1 The ' Gryphite-grit ' is somewhat of a misnomer, but that has always been 

 recognized in certain localities. Such terms are useful only for local work. 

 In more extended work tbe strata should be relegated to the different hemerse ; 

 and that it is the object of this paper to do. For the hemera during which 

 these deposits were laid down, see p. 421. 



a As will be seen from the sections, the fact of the Lower Trigoniargvit 

 yielding Hildoceratidaj has been confirmed at many different localities. 



