On the Geology of Swindon. 



137 



held in his hand fossil remains of these animals. The former had 

 now for the first time been discovered in the strata of Wiltshire, 

 the latter, previously known only in the drift beds of Fisherton, 

 had now been found at Westbmy. 



After a cordial vote of thanks, both to Mr. Mullings and Mr. 

 Cunnington, Mr. Charles Moore, F.G.S., the eminent geologist of 

 Bath, gave a very interesting lecture on the Geology of Swindon, 

 more particularly in regard to certain beds of the Portland and 

 Purbeck Strata in that district. 



Mr. Moore said that the Kimmeridge clay occupied the site of 

 the new town of Swindon, and of the Factory. The beds were 

 of considerable thickness, and not wanting in interest. They 

 were the home of large reptilian remains, and he had just taken 

 from one of the cases in the room, a specimen of a tooth which came 

 from the ' Kimmeridge clay of that district, labelled as " a sea- 

 dragon.^ Pliosaurus grandis, of which this tooth was a specimen, 

 was a large reptile, at least two-thirds the length of the room they 

 were sitting in, and in Mr. Cunnington's museum, at Devizes, there 

 was an exceedingly fine specimen of this reptile, from New Swindon. 

 These beds of clay formed a large portion of the strata at Kimmeridge, 

 in Dorset, and the remains of Pliosaurus were there found associated 

 with Plesiosaurus, Ichthyosaurus, &c. The chief characteristic of 

 these reptiles was their large size. 



He exhibited a tooth presented to him many years ago by the Rev. 

 H. G. Bailey, Who might remember the circumstance. (Mr. Bailey 

 said he did, perfectly) . It was most probably a large carnivorous 

 reptile. The tooth was ground down, showing the hard work the 

 reptile had to do in masticating its food. 



In coming from the Swindon station to Swindon, especially up the 

 new road (the cutting through the Rolleston estate), they reached the 

 lower beds of the Portland series. At the Quarries they have the 

 Portland sands. These sands at first sight appeared unfossiliferous, 

 but upon careful examination they were found to consist to a great 

 extent of broken shells. A nice series of minute corals might also 

 be gathered from these beds. In other portions of the quarries 

 shells of pretty good size might be found, amongst them cardinal, 



VOL. XIV. — NO. XLI. N 



