Peacock : Naturalists at Lincoln. 



249 



examined, together with the overlying- Northampton Sands 

 and -lower beds of the Inferior Oolite. At the bottom of the 

 pit the so-called fish and insect beds were found, which forms 

 the base of the Upper Lias, and in Handley's pit, which lies 

 immediately below Swan's pit, type fossils of the Middle Lias 

 were obtained. As was pointed out to the members of the 

 societies, the most interesting part of the afternoon's study lay 

 between the fish and insect beds of the Upper Lias and these 

 easily-identified clays of the Middle Lias. Normally the Middle 

 Lias consists of two divisions, the Upper or.Marlstone Rock 



From Negative by Rev. li. Nelson', M.A. 



Middle Lias Section, Handley's Pit, Lincoln: 



Mr. Henry Preston, F.G.S., pointing out the top of the 2 feet limestone hand. 



bod, and the Lower, consisting of clays, sands, and ferruginous 

 limestone bands and nodules. Two zonal ammonites are identi- 

 fied with these divisions, Ammonites margaritatus being the one 

 typical of the clays of the lower division, and which seldom, if 

 ever, reaches up into the marlstone in this county, and 

 Ammonites spinatus of the marlstone, but which not uncommonly 

 is found associated with margaritatus in the lower division of 

 the Middle Lias. It had been pointed out some years ago by 

 Mr. W. D. Carr, who had well studied the Lincoln Lias, thai 



HKX) August I. 



