PROCEEDINGS OF GEOLOGICAL SOCIETIES. 



531 



the south, and in the more distant horizon the eye rested upon the curiously- 

 shaped hills of Caer Caradoc, the Lawley, and the Longmynd in the back ground. 

 At a glance is thus taken in nearly the whole of the formations forming the Silurian 

 system, here and there loaded with fossils, and presenting those bold outlines 

 which so strongly characterise these ancient rocks. Through woods and heather 

 the members descended by Primrose Hill, and made at once for the fine ruins of 

 Buildwas Abbey, beautifully situated on the banks of the Severn, where there is 

 a good section of the Wenlock Shale exposed, abounding in fossils. Some little 

 time was spent in examining these, and then, by a gradual ascent through a 

 picturesque fairy dingle,*^" they reached the famous quarries at Bradeley and 

 Gleedon hill ; no very valuable specimens were obtained on this occasioii ; 

 but the Wenlock limestone is here and elsewhere loaded with the characteristic 

 shells, corals, and remains of encrinites. After a long and hot walk, the party 

 were not sorry to sit down to dinner at the Wynnstay Arms, at Wenlock, where 

 they were joined by the Vicar, the Mayor, and Mr. Brookes, an active and intelli- 

 gent naturalist, and several of their friends. The usual business of the club 

 having been transacted, after a few brief remarks on the geology of the neigh- 

 bourhood by the vicar and Mr Randall, the members paid a short visit to the 

 beautiful ruins of Wentsell Abbey, the fine old Town-hall, and the new Literary- 

 Institution and Museum lately built. At nine o'clock on the following morning 

 the party, accompanied by Messrs Brookes and Randall, proceeded to Benthall- 

 edge, which is, in fact, the prolongation of Wenlock-edge, as it terminates in this 

 direction on the N.E. Here, again, the beauty of the scenery, and the abundant 

 relics — especially corals — of that ancient Silurian epoch, long since passed away, 

 made the forenoon pass too quickly away, and many would gladly have spent much 

 longer time in this interesting field of research, being reluctantly compelled to 

 hurry over well-stocked quarries and shady ravines which would doub*^.less have 

 rewarded the careful search of the geologist and botanist. At Ironbridge the club 

 divided, and the majority bent their way homewards. The zealous geologists who 

 remained went to see the junction of the millstone-grit (of the coal-measures) with 

 the Wenlock limestone, both of which dip at a high angle, and form a bold escarp- 

 ment above the Severn. From thence they visited several of the ironstone-pits in 

 the Colebrook Dale coal-field, which is particularly rich in iron-ore, the fossil plants 

 which occur in it being associated with marine shells aud other evidences of 

 estuarine conditions. On arriving at Madeley, by the special invitation from Mr. 

 Anstice, they inspected his choice collection of coal- fossils procured from the 

 district, so rich in remains of plants, shells, Crustacea (Limuli), and two species of 

 insects which formerly were more frequently procured than of iate years. 



The next day was spent in a long ramble over a considerable portion of this 

 coal-field, from Ironbridge to Ketley and Oakengates. Great quantities of iron- 

 stone piled up at the different pits were looked over, but few fossils were obtained ; 

 the largest number were observed at Ketley, where the sandstone contained some 

 gigantic calamites and other plants, and when this was worked many fine specimens 

 were procured. We have dwelt at length upon this ramble with the Warwick- 

 shire Field Club, not only on account of the interest which attaches to this parti . 

 cular excursion, but also to enable the student who may happen to visit the same 

 neighbourhood to find out without difficulty the most instructive and attractive 

 localities. 



The third meeting of the club was held on the 27th of July, at Stratford-on- 

 Avon, whence the geologists proceeded to visit the well-known Lias quarries at 

 Wilmcote and Binton. The sections exhibited are tolerably uniform as to cha- 

 racter, and consist, for the most part, of an alternating series of blue shale and 

 limestone, forming the lower beds of the Lower Lias, and containing an abundance 

 and variety of organic remains, amongst which the relics of insects are the most re- 

 markable, though more frequent at Binton, where a large number have been collected. 



* At this spot the attention of the party was directed to certain shafts which had heen sunk in the 

 hill side, through the u enlock shale, in a vain and hopeless search for coal. The owner of the pro- 

 perty, it was stated, had already spent some thousands in this foolish attempt, and though cautioned 

 of the utter impossibility of success, could not be persuaded to give it up. 



