GEOLOGY 



Upper Devonian, although the existence in Plymouth Museum of a 

 specimen of sl&te with P/eurodictyum, fromCann quarry (south of Bickleigh), 

 renders it probable that Middle Devonian slates may be folded up with 

 them, that fossil having been found in Eifelian slates at Bishopsteignton 

 and near Marldon. Between the southern spur of Dartmoor, at Ivybridge, 

 and the Middle Devonian shalsteins the occurrence of Upper Devonian 

 is doubtful, as the slates are in line of deflected strike with those includ- 

 ing the Eifelian limestone of Paytoe. To the north of this, and east of 

 Buckfastleigh, there is no doubt as to the occurrence of Upper Devonian 

 slates, in the area between the Buckfastleigh and Ashburton limestones 

 and those of Ogwell, Denbury and Torbryan ; imperfect indications of 

 the Biidesheim fauna (small Goniatites and Bactrites) having been obtained 

 at Wrigwell House, and Entomis serrato-striata, etc., near Highweek, at 

 Knowles Hill, Newton Abbot, and also in the railway cutting near 

 Kingsteignton. The Ashburton are, therefore, separated from the 

 Newton Abbot limestones by a syncline. Cardiola retrostriata and other 

 Frasnien forms have been obtained in nodules in the slates (KnoUen Kalk) 

 by the Teign near Combe Cellars. Liver-coloured shaly limestones and 

 concretionary limestone beds are found in contact with the massive lime- 

 stones of Chudleigh, Kingsteignton, Petitor, Ilsham. Goniatites such as 

 G. intumescens and G. Sagittarius have been found in them at Lower 

 Dunscombe ; near White way farm ; and at Petitor (where they mark 

 the sides of a syncline occupied by Upper Devonian slates). At Anstey's 

 Cove the slates contain Entomis serratostriata and also at Goodrington. 

 The Biidesheim fauna discovered at Saltern Cove by Mr. Lee is well 

 known ; the same fauna occurs in similar beds in contact with the 

 Brixham limestone near Ivy Cove. Upper Devonian slates are faulted 

 and folded up in the Lower Culm Measures north of Bickington. 

 Entoms, Clymenia, etc., occur in them. At Druid and Holne Bridge 

 near Ashburton Spirifer disjunctus is found in greenish Upper Devonian 

 slates and mudstones, which have their counterparts near Beer Ferrers, 

 on the Tavy, where the same fossil has been found. On the whole the 

 Upper Devonian strata are very unfossiliferous — the prevalent tint is 

 pale greenish grey but Indian red and green slates of the Mutley type 

 are often present, especially in the Torquay, Newton and Paignton 

 districts. 



DEVONIAN OF NORTH DEVON 



The succession of these strata is so well given in the section in 

 De la Beche's Report,^ that it would hardly be necessary to refer to them 

 after the classification given in the table, but for the older date assigned 

 to the Morte slates. — 



Lower Devonian. — ^The thick and thin bedded quartzose grits of the 

 Foreland with interbedded claret coloured slates form the lowest series 

 and are homotaxeous with the Dartmouth slates. Seen from the sea these 

 rocks pass under the Lynton beds, but their junction is a fault in the 



' Described on pp, 46-53. 

 19 



