GEOLOGICAL DESIDERATA. 



303 



before a series of fossils in sufSciently good preservatiou could be 

 obtained to make accurate lists, but they are very abundant, 



Mr. S. E. Pattisonhas published some important facts regarding those 

 localities, in the " Transactions of the Geological Society of Cornwall," 

 Yol. I., and it only needs to follow out the inquiries begun by him to 

 enable us to understand very clearly the age of the Petherwyn slates, and 

 their relation to the base of the Culm-series, which overlies them, l^eav 

 Barnstaple, the most instructive sections are from Pilton to Sloly, at 

 Braunton, and at Baggy Point. But these have been comparatively 

 well examined ; the point that most wants investigation is the south 

 coast of the Barnstaple river, along the promenade, and thence round to 

 the angle opposite Heanton Court. 



These fossils are probably the same as on the opposite bank from 

 Stroud to Heanton Court, but a good series of each should be compared 

 and named from Phillips' Palceozoic fossils. Then the shores of 

 Fremington Pill offer a perfect section of the higher beds from opposite 

 the "Weir to the cutting of the Bideford Eailway. The fossils will be 

 found to be different to those of Heanton, in some respects, and mostly 

 Carboniferous-limestone species. (Phillips' Geol. Yorkshire, and 

 M'Coy's Synopsis of the Carb. Foss. of Ireland, will give the names.) 



It will be necessary to go when the tide is half out ; but the 

 abundance of fossils in the nodules, to say nothing of the beautiful 

 scenery of the river-banks, will well repay a little trouble, and the beds 

 are all easily accessible. Por more adventurous hammerers the south and 

 north cliff's of Baggy Point will afford much interesting work ; but this 

 I will point out more fully in a future number. The point to which 

 these researches lead is the true boundarj- between the Carboniferous 

 and Devonian rocks, not yet ascertained for Britain. 



Por tourists in the West of Ireland, the fossiliferous beds along the 

 south-east shore of Glengariff Bay will show the transition from Old Eed^' 

 Sandstone into Carboniferous Slate, and they are highly fossiliferous. 

 Dunworly Bay and the Seven Heads, County Cork, is a fine section for 

 boat- excursions, and there are others equall}?- interesting. There are 

 abundance of new species to be obtained, but the object should be to 

 ascertain, by well-collected specimens, where the Carboniferous fauna 

 ends downw^ards. To place (as many geologists are now inclined hastily 

 to do) the whole of the upper or conglomerate portion of the Old Eed 

 Sandstone in the Carboniferous system, is not to be done without 

 a more rigid inquiry into the organic remains where these are to be had. 

 But, on the other hand, careful and numerous collections may prove 

 this to be necessary. 



I am, dear Sir, yours truly, 



J. W. Salteti. 



* See Journal Dublin Geol. Soc, Vol, VIL, Pt, 2, p. 63, 



