Hind: Carboniferous Geology. 



and the latter bed is fairl}' high up in the Coal Measures of that 

 Coalfield. The lish fauna is decidedly of a Coal Measure 

 facies, and Mr. Bolton remarks that Plant remains of a Coal 

 Measure type occur in black shale, a few feet below the marine 

 bands. When compared to the Carboniferous succession 

 in the Midlands where the Dibunophyllum zone is succe ded 

 by more than looo feet of the Pendleside Series, and these beds 

 in turn are overlaid by from 300-3000 feet of Millstone Grit, 

 and that the Gin mine lies 5000 feet above the base of the Coal 

 Measures in North Staffordshire, the question arises at once as 

 to what do these 900 feet of Millstone Grit of Bristol really 

 represent ? 



Dr. Kidston has shewn that the greater part of the Coal 

 Measures of the Bristol area are represented by a Flora of high 

 facies, and I am of opinion ,from the evidence of the Mollusca, 

 that the Pennant Series of coals correspond to the Black Band 

 Series, and that portion of the Coal Measures immediately 

 below them. Therefore the 900 feet of Grits represent, in point 

 of time, all the Series between the Dihunophyllum beds, and a 

 horizon high up in the Coal Measures. 



A marine band has been discovered in the South Wales 

 Coalfield, near its base at Glan, Rhymney, and Beaufort. This 

 probably represents the marine band described by Mr. Bolton. 



We also now know that the genus Zaphrentis is not con- 

 fined to the lower beds in other areas, but in the Midland 

 province and Scotland the same species which characterises 

 the Zaphrentis zone of the Bristol area, occur with other 

 species of this genus in the Upper Dihunophyllum beds.* 



CLEE HILL AREA. 



The Carboniferous Limestone of the Clee Hill Area rests 

 conformably on a series of upper Devonian rocks. The lime- 

 stones exposed at Oreton and Farlow would appear, from the 

 fauna contained in them to belong to Zaphentis division of the 

 Bristol sequence. These limestones are succeeded by some 

 shaly beds which in turn are overlaid by a Millstone Grit and 

 the Clee Hill Coal Measures. 



There is no question that the age of the Coalfield is other 

 than Coal Measures, a fact demonstrated by the flora, so that 

 in this area there must be an unconformity to account for the 



* Vide Carruthers, ' Geol. Mag.', Dec. v., \'ol.V., pp. 63 and 158. 



Naturalist' 



