BRODIE — GEOLOGY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE. 
375 
it is particularly rich in remains of this class, among which the genera 
Dapcdiura and Tetragonolepis — fishes of the Ganoid order, having 
bright enamelled scales, and resembling the turbot in shape— are the 
most prevalent. Fragments of plants, too, are more numerous than in 
any other division of the Lias in Gloucestershire, among which may be 
enumerated the following genera : OtojHeris oltusa, and 0. acuminata, 
A^quisetiim Brodiei, Cupressiis ? latifolia, UipimriUs ? traces of Con- 
fcrvao, Musci and Umbellifera!, an assemblage of acotyledonous and 
dicotyledonous forms, not met with elsewhere in the Lias. The insect 
relics consist chiefly of elytra or wing-covers of several orders of 
Coleoptera ; a few perfect small beetles have been detected. There 
are wings and legs of Orthoptera, Neuroptera, Hemiptera, and 
Diptera. Perfect insects, of course, are rare, but a few have been 
procured with the wings and legs attached, the delicate markings 
and nervures of the former being well preserved ; but the wings 
of Neuroptera are the most abundant, and the single elytra of 
Coleoptera."''- These remains are always to be found in this par- 
ticular stratum, whence we have denomicated it " Insect Limestone " ; 
and they sufficiently distinguish it from all others, either above or below. 
Wainlode Cliff, Apperley (the grey hill), and Strensham were, perhaps, 
the richest localities ; but, unfortunately, the two latter are now no 
longer available, as the quarries have been closed for some time. These 
and the other localities in Gloucestershire, are none of them very far from 
the Malvern and other hills, Avhere more ancient rocks prevail ; and we 
are naturally led to the inference that they formed a portion, at least, 
of that land where the insects lived, and from whence they were 
carried by rivers into the ocean, by which it was bounded. The 
presence of a variety of terrestrial plants, though very fragmentary, 
leads to the same conclusion. We might enlarge upon, the subject, 
and say a gi'eat deal more about these insect treasures ; but we must 
defer this until some future opportunity. But this is not the only 
interesting bed in this part of the series. The insect limestone is 
succeeded at Wainlode Cliff' by about five feet of marly clay, which is 
underlaid by eight inches of hard, yellow, nodular limestone, of an 
irregular fracture, having a singular waved aud variegated character, 
* Figures and descriptions of many of these will be seen in Lrodie's Fosiil 
Insects," pis. 6 — 10. 
