2 HALKYARD, Fossil Foraminifera of the Blue Marl 



that it would be possible to learn from these gatherings some- 

 thing of the relative predominance or scarcity of the different 

 species at the different parts of the beds, but a third series of 

 samples taken in an irregular manner in 1897 and I 9 02 showed 

 that any deductions arrived at from the 1893 collections as to the 

 distribution of species throughout the whole extent of the strata 

 would be unreliable. These reasons, as well as the great thick- 

 ness of these beds of Blue Marl and the lack of marked horizons 

 in them, have led me simply to describe the Foraminifera col- 

 lected as coming from the Blue Marl as a whole, though 

 occasionally I may find it convenient to make a reference to 

 the upper or lower beds as the undoubted provenance of a 

 species. 



In order to show in a fuller manner the microzoic contents 

 of the marl it will be well to give notes of washings obtained 

 from nine samples of marl taken in November, 1893. These 

 notes will give a good idea of the nature of the material dealt 

 with. Before proceeding further I may say that not only were 

 samples taken of the soft beds, but also hand-specimens of the 

 hard limestones containing numerous specimens of Nummulites 

 ;and Orbitoides. Any species found in these hard samples will 

 be referred to as having been so found. 



GATHERINGS, AUTUMN, 1893. 



Sample No. 1. — 1 lb. of marl taken from near top of Cliff 

 on ascending zig-zag footpath behind the Bathing Establish- 

 ment. Marl light-coloured even when wet. Residue left after 

 washing weighed 60 grains and consisted of Quartz-sand, 

 fragments of Molluscan shells, Polyzoa, Echinoderm spines, 

 Ostracoda, and Foraminifera, as well as casts in pyrites of 

 small Molluscan shells and Foraminifera. Miliolina, plentiful 

 and well preserved. Cristellaria, plentiful but rather broken. 

 Operculina, frequent and much broken. Specimens often 

 stained with iron oxide/ 



Sample No. 2.— 1 lb. of marl from half-way up the Cliff 

 near the end of the sea-wall. This sample was taken from a 

 block which had fallen on to the road under the cliff, otherwise a 

 sample from this place could not have been obtained, the cliff 

 being much too precipitous to be climbed. The residue left 

 after washing this sample weighed 300 grains and consisted 

 of coarse and fine sand, Foraminifera, Polyzoa, fragments of 

 Molluscan shells, Echinoderm spines, Ostracoda, and Sponge- 

 spicules. The most conspicuous Foraminifera were much worn 

 and decomposed specimens of Operculina complanata, Crist- 

 ellaria, Textularia trochus, and Tritaxia ulmensis. 



