182 



The Naturalist. 



Hailsham by an early train for London, leaving Mr. Tugwell to 

 another week's collecting. 



The district is well wooded and would doubtless produce numbers 

 of good species at almost any part of the year : in the limited time 

 we had, it was impossible to pay any attention to larv^, or unquestion- 

 ably our list would have been greatly increased. As it was we had 

 taken over a hundred species, exclusive of Micro-lepidoptera, and this 

 we thought was tolerable, considering the earliness of the season, and 

 the previous wretched weather. 



The botanical treasures of the district are numerous, we were told, 

 but knowing little of that science myself, I shall decline enumerating 

 species ; suffice it to say we gathered some fine specimens of Fhyteuma 

 spicata on our way from the wood to our lodgings. Hailsham itself 

 is a charming little village, which every visitor to Eastbourne ought 

 to make a point of seeing. 



June 16th : I have just received a letter from Mr. Tugwell contain- 

 ing report of what he did after we left. Sugar proved more produc- 

 tive, H. Gmistoe being more numerous, and L. Aureola coming pretty 

 freely, forty to fifty on one night ; half a dozen Aplecla herbida in 

 splendid condition, and D. Orion at length appeared. 



Uudders field, June \5lh, 1876. 



GEOLOGY OF THE HALIFAX HARD BED COAL. 



By J. Spencee. 



(Continued from page 164.) 



OvEKLYiNG the " baum pot " bed, there is a bed of very fine black 

 sliale which yields several species that appear to be peculiar to it. 

 The whole of marine strata appear to have been formed in one con- 

 tinous epoch, but the three beds just described, mark so many 

 separate stages in that epoch. The marine character of the shells, of 

 which I have myself found some 50 or 60 species, teach us that during 

 the time these strata were forming the sea covered all this part of the 

 country. We know also that then the great Pennine Chain which 

 separates us from Lancashire, did not exist. It is not often that 

 geologists indulge in speculations about the length of time requisite 

 fpr the formation of any particular set of strata, but the facts in con- 

 nection with the marine beds are so interesting that the late Professor 



