Hind: Carhoniferous Geology 



In the West of Scotland the succession is somewhat similar 

 but the Calciferous Sandstone Series is much less obvious, 

 its deposition having been interfered with by volcanic outbursts. 

 No marine organisms have been found in them, the only finds 

 that have been obtained are remains of plants, ostracods and 

 fish. 



The Lower Limestone Series is very rich in fossils, and 

 especially so in Corals and Brachiopoda. 



The fauna has been diligently collected over the whole 

 area, by several geologists, and most groups have been sub- 

 mitted to specialists, and it may be said that the distribution 

 of the Carboniferous fauna of the West of Scotland is well 

 known. As in the East, there is a Lower Limestone Series 

 separated from an Upper Limestone Series, by a coal and 

 ironstone-bearing Group, and that the Lower Limestone Series 

 is characterised by a fauna typical of the Upper Dihunophyllum 

 zone. 



The fauna, also, in a somewhat more limited extent, is 

 found in the Upper Limestone Series. For example, the Lower 

 Carboniferous fish fauna passes up into the Upper Limestone 

 Series, and then comes the change, and the upper fish fauna 

 is found in the Millstone Grits and Coal Measures. 



The Cephalopod fauna of the Upper Limestone Series calls 

 for special remark. In the list compiled for the handbook 

 of the British Association for the Glasgow Meeting, Mr. J. 

 Neilson records the presence at Gare of several Goniatites, 

 which in the Midlands are associated only with the Pendleside 

 Series, such as Glyphioceras reticulatum, G. striatum, G. vesica 

 and from both Upper and Lower Limestone Series of G. diadema 

 and Dimorphoceus gilhertsoni from shale over the Hosie Lime- 

 stone at Thornton. 



Prodiictiis giganteus and a large number of Brachiopoda 

 pass up into the Upper Limestone Series, but corals are much 

 less frequent. 



The interesting Cephalopod, Pleuronautilus nodosocarinatus 

 occurs in the Upper Limestone Series. This is a rare fossil, 

 and has a limited range in the Midlands, at the upper part of 

 the Pendleside Series and Millstone Grit It has also been 

 found in the Yoredale series of Swaledale. 



Some 680 hundred feet of Grits, Sandstones, Fireclays 

 with their coals, ironstones, and limestones, intervene between 

 the Castle Cary, on the uppermost limestone of the Upper 



Naturalist, 



