By Charles Moore, F.G.8. 



clay deposit is wanting, and in its stead succeed the Great Oolite 

 raggy beds, composed almost entirely of corals and sponges, whilst 

 clustering amongst them were many interesting forms of Oolitic 

 Brachiopoda. These are to be met with — though not so abundantly 

 — at Box, and in the quarry openings at Monkton Farleigh and 

 elsewhere. They have yielded to myself a rich harvest, including 

 many forms new to science. This important family has in past 

 geological time yielded in the aggregate many thousand species, 

 whilst in the present seas only about one hundred species are known. 

 Some of them contain in their interiors a wonderfully delicate spire 

 or loop, which served during the life of the animal to support its 

 softer parts. All genera have their special animal forms and the 

 processes differing internally in each genus — though in the same 

 species they are usually alike. A curious variation from this law, 

 however, occurs in the Terebratella BucJcmani. In dissecting this 

 shell, which occurs in the Great Oolite of this district, for its in- 

 ternal structure, I found that the calcareous processes differed 

 materially, apparently altering in form, during its several stages of 

 growth, a fact not hitherto noticed in any other member of this 

 family. Another of this group — the Thecidium — was a few years 

 back only represented by two species, one in the Green Sand, and 

 another in the chalk, whilst only one species was known in our 

 recent seas — recently, however, increased to two or three. It had 

 its largest life development in the secondary deposits of which I am. 

 speaking, and I have been fortunate enough to obtain from our 

 Oolitic beds alone as many as twelve new species. 



The Forest Marble, which succeeds the Bradford Clay, was for- 

 merly raised at Wormwood and Atford for roofing tiles, but has 

 since been almost superseded by lighter material. For palasonto- 

 logical reasons this seems a pity, for they yielded the enamelled teeth 

 of many fishes whose cartilagenous skeletons have perished, and 

 with them occasionally the teeth of reptilia, including Teleosaurus 

 and Megalosaurus. 



The Cornbrash is usually a persistent rock-bed in succession, and has 

 its characteristic fossils. It is found atCorsham and nearMalmesbury. 

 The Kelloway Rock, which follows, occurs at the village of that name. 



VOL. XX. — NO. LVIII. E 



