ON THE LIAS BEDS NEAR CHELTENHAM. 



15 



1st. Clays and marls of the new red sandstone formation. 



The town of Cheltenham is situated in the S. E. corner of 

 the vale of Gloucester, and is two thirds surrounded by the 

 Cotteswold Hills ; a few miles to the N. E. stands the mag- 

 nificent outlier of oolite, called Bredon Hill, and to the S. W. 

 the lias outlier of Church down. 



Having premised thus much on tlie general features and 

 situation of this locality, we will next consider the lias for- 

 mation, and, in so doing, will examine the different beds in 

 ascending order, and, being convinced that not only may the 

 different formations be distinguished by their fossil contents, 

 but the subordinate beds of which they are composed may 

 also be identified with the greatest precision by the same 

 means, this order of description will be the more intelligible. 



I. In Wainload Hill, an elevation in the range of hills 

 above referred to, the lias flagstone is found resting 

 immediately upon the red marl, which presents evi- 

 dence that the waters by which it was deposited swarmed 

 with life, as this bed is entirely composed of bones, 

 teeth, and exuviee of fishes. These teeth of two kinds, are 

 those of a sub-family of sharks, named Hybodonts ; and 

 those of a species of the Sauroid family. 



At Westbury upon Severn, this bed occurs in the same 

 relative position, but is much better developed, both in 

 thickness and contents. Coprolites are abundant in the 

 bed at this locality ; but, throughout our examinations, we 

 have only found one shell, which was much too imperfect to 

 lead to the detection of the genus. We should conjecture, 

 however, that it is allied to Pantigua. 



I. Lowe}' lias formation. 



