66 
Naturalists' Club, and the united company walked through the pass. At 
the upper end Mr. Stoddart delivered an address on the Geology of the 
District, and exhibited a map showing the probable outline of the neigh- 
bourhood at the end of the glacial period. The party then returned 
through the pass and visited Weeks's Cave. Here Mr. Pengelly and 
Mr. Vivian of Torquay, made a few remarks on the origin of this and 
similar caverns in the Carboniferous limestone. Before leaving, a number 
of pieces of magnesium wire (provided by the Hon. Secretary for that 
purpose) were burnt, by which the interior with its stalactites was render- 
ed distinctly visible. 
XI. 
Notes on the Geology oe Weymouth. 
By W. W. Stoddart, F.C.S., F.G.S. 
Head at the Sectional Meeting, November 9th, 1870. 
Mr. Stoddart read a paper describing the Geological formations in the 
neighbourhood of Weymouth. This interesting locality abounds with the 
most instructive strata and fossils, illustrating to the fullest extent the 
several beds of the lower, middle, and upper oolite. The attention of the 
Members was first directed to the Oxford clay. 
This formation is very well seen in Weymouth harbour, Ham Cliff, 
Greenhill, near Jordan Cliff, and the western bed of the back water near 
Badipole. At the last mentioned locality near the bridge, may be picked 
up a great number of Oxford clay fossils, including twenty-four species of 
Ammonites, and four species of Belemnites. Very large septaria are often 
collected which, when polished, are manufactured into table- tops and fancy 
ornaments. They are composed of clay with veins of Carbonate of lime, 
coloured with oxide of iron. The lithological appearance of the Oxford 
clay very much resembles the Kimmeridge, but is distinguished by the 
prevalence of Gryphaea clilatata. 
Above the Oxford clay lies the coral rag, between the upper and lower 
calcareous grits. 
The best place for observing the coral rag beds, is between Nothe Point 
and Sandsfoot Castle. Some of the beds are very fossiliferous with 
innumerable specimens of Trigonia clavellata, vegetable remains, and a 
long list of Gasteropoda, Conchifera, and Echinodermata. The beds are 
however so hard that the fossils are extracted with great difficulty. The 
coral rag beds dip at a very small angle, and as they run for a considerable 
distance under the sea, form a magnificent habitat for marine Algas, many 
of them being exceedingly rare species. 
The Kimmeridge clay comes next in succession, and takes its name from 
a village cast of Weymouth, where it attains a thickness of six hundred 
