212 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



In pursuing his investigations as to the geologic age of the Crag, the author 

 found it necessary to decide as to what are the "derivative" fossils which are 

 mixed with the native fossils in this deposit. This has been a matter of some 

 difficulty. Mr. Wood enumerates the following genera that may have supplied 

 species or specimens to the Red Crag : — Chama, Cardita, Astarte, Cyprina, 

 Isocardia, Limopsis, Turritella, Vermetus, C anccllaria, Terehra, Vohita, and Fyrida ; 

 and he observes that out of 240 species of mollusca found in the Red Crag, and 

 belonging truly to a modern tertiary period, forty, or perhaps fifty, might be con- 

 sidered as derivative fossils, though possibly some of them may have lived on from 

 the period of the lower to that of the Upper or Red Crag. Some few extraneous 

 fossils found in the Red Crag appear to the author to have been casts of shells 

 from some fresh- water deposit, probably of old tertiary date, but of which no other 

 trace has been recognised. Mr. ^yood regards the relics of terrestrial mammals 

 found in the Red Crag as extraneous to that deposit, as well as the Cetotolites or 

 relics of whales. Remains of two species of Hyracotherium, originally derived 

 from the London Clay, have occurred in this Crag ; also a tooth said to be of a 

 Coryphodon. The remains of Ursus, Cams, Vulpes, Felis, Troyontherium, 3Iastodon, 

 Rhinoceros, Equus, Sus, and Cervus have been derived from some Upper Tertiary 

 deposits ; but Mr. Wood is uncertain whether the Crag relics of Hipjpotherium and 

 Hycenodon may not have come from some Middle Tertiary beds. The remains of 

 Balcenodon certainly were not derived from the London Clay, as has been sug- 

 gestd, but with the Delphinus, have come from some tertiaries of a later date. 

 Crocodile, Turtle, and Snake remains, fossil wood, crustaceans, and mollusca have 

 come from the London Clay. Many of the fish remains are London Clay fossils ; 

 but some have been washed in from beds similar to those of Bracklesham ; and 

 some, including the teeth of Carcharodon megalodcn, have apparently been derived 

 from Middle Tertiary beds not existing now in this area. Some Chalk fossils, 

 and several fossils from the Middle Oolites, have also been collected in the 

 " phosphatic beds." Mr. Wood described the relative proportions in which the 

 different derivative fossils occurred, and made some remarks on the general 

 characters of these beds. He observes that probably no locality more resembles 

 the conditions of the Red Crag Sea during the accumulation of the materials of 

 its bed than the existing Bay of Christchurch, where the conflicting tidal currents 

 mix the fossils of several beds with recent shells. 



[The papers by Mr. Wetherell and Mr. Wood were illustrated by a large series 

 of specimens.] 



3. " On a Fossil Fruit found in the Upper Wealden deposits in the Isle of 

 Purbeck." By Professor J. Phillips, M.A., President G. S. &c. 



In one of the Lpper Wealden shales in the northern cliffs of Swanage Bay, the 

 author found a small imperfect spherical pyritous seed-vessel, about half an inch 

 in length, which presented evidence of having had eight meridional ridges, and an 

 apparently fibrous surface. After a careful comparison of numerous forms of 

 seeds of mouocotyledonous, gymnospermous, and dicotyledonous plants, the author 

 considered that the specimen presented some analogies with dicotyledons of 

 several groups, especially Euphorhiacece and Juglandacece. 



[The specimen was exhibited to the meeting ] 



Oswestry Naturalists' Field Club, — The meetings of this Society, appointed 

 to be held during the present year, are at Llanrhaiadr, 10th June ; Llangollen, 

 22nd Jiily ; Breidden Hill, 2Gth August. 



The Malvern Naturalists' Club. — The annual meeting of this excellent and 

 valuable local society was held on the 12th instant, at their museum in Great 

 Malvern ; wlien an instructive presidential address was delivered by the Rev. W. 

 S. Synionds, F.G.S., who commenced by a well-merited allusion to the loss the 

 club had sustained by the death of the late Peter Marriott, Esq., of Malvern, and 

 then passed in review the recent additions made to those departments of science 

 which, from local circumstances, were most intei-esting and familiar to a working 

 ficKl-club. Some astronomical matters came first in order, and then the president 



