PROCEEDINGS OE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETIES. 



427 



when first raised are very compact, but after being exposed to the action of 

 frost split readily along the planes of bedding. The organic remains are 

 numerous and varied, including several orders of plants. The plants are 

 for the most part terrestrial, and include such forms as Pterophyllum, Zamia, 

 and Sphenopteris. The small extreme branches of coniferous shrubs allied 

 to the cypress and yew, which have received the name of Thuytes, occur 

 also. Several genera of insects are among the rarer fossils. The Mollusca 

 are but limited in species. The fishes of Stonesfield belong entirely to the 

 Placoid and Ganoid orders. The remains of this kind are palatal teeth of 

 the genera Strophodus and Pycnodus, teeth of Hybodontidae and Sauroidei. 

 The most famous of the Stonesfield reptiles is the Megalosaurus BucJc- 

 landi. There is also one species of Teleosaurus, and one of Pterodactyl e, 

 and one small species of Chelonia. The remarkable catalogue of associated 

 life exhibited by this formation is rendered still more complete by three 

 genera of small Mammalia. The Northamptonshire equivalent of this bed 

 is a deposit of ferruginous sand and ironstone, termed Northampton sand. 

 It is worked as an iron-ore near Blisworth. Its fossils are very scarce, and 

 for the most part fragmentary ; those from the Duston pits being the only 

 ones that are sufficiently well preserved for identification. From the 

 fact of this Northampton sand resting on the Upper Lias without any 

 intervening beds, some geologists have been disposed to regard it as the 

 equivalent of the Upper Lias sand of Gloucestershire, but the author con- 

 siders the evidence not to be in favour of this opinion, as all the species 

 hitherto collected are identical with those of the Stonesfield Slate. 



" On a FossilElytrum from the Stonesfield Slate." By Mr. C. S. Gregson. 

 The author stated that this wing- cover could not be referred to Bupres- 

 tidse, but is undoubtedly a Longicorne, and nearly allied to, though not 

 identical with, Prionus coriarius of the present day, which has the elytra 

 roughly punctured and three obscure raised lines, whilst the specimen 

 under consideration has the whole surface divided equidistantly with more 

 deeply sunk lines, and one well-defined mark on the side, carried down to 

 the end of the wing-case. Specimens from South America so nearly ap- 

 proach the fossil in form that the author thought it advisable to give it the 

 provisional name of Prionaroides Hortoni. 



" On the Surface Markings near Liverpool, supposed to have been caused 

 by Ice." By G. H. Morton, F.G.S. Towards the end of 1859 the 

 author gave an account, to the Literary and Philosophical Society of 

 Liverpool, of certain indications of ice passing over and grooving the rocks 

 in Toxteth Park. Since that time he has found the same appearances in 

 two other places. The following are the three localities : — In a field be- 

 tween Park Hill Uoad and the Dingle ; in the brickfields, about 50 yards 

 north of Boundary Street and 150 yards west of Gore Street, where about 

 10 yards of striated surface have been exposed for some years. The Sand- 

 stone belongs to the base of the "Keuper" formation. The surface in- 

 clines about 5° in the same direction as the grooves and furrows, N. 15° W. 

 The elevation above the sea is about 80 feet. The other locality is also in 

 the brickfields, about 600 yards S.W. of Kirkdale Gaol, and about the same 

 distance from that last referred to, with which it may possibly communi- 

 cate. The Sandstone belongs to the base of the " Keuper," and the striated 

 surface exposed is fully 500 square yards, inclining throughout at an angle 

 of 7-|° in the direction of the striae, which is the same as in the contiguous 

 example, N. 15° W. The elevation above the sea is 80 feet, or perhaps a 

 little less. 



Since this communication was read, the author has found very distinct ice- 

 grooves at Oxton, Cheshire, half a mile S.E. from the telegraph on Bidston 



