PROCEEDINGS OF GEOLOGICAL SOCIETIES. 
531 
the south, and in the more distant liorizoa the eye rested upon the curiously- 
shaped hills of Caer Cai-adoc, the Lawley, and the Longmyiid 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. Througli 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 occasion ; 
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 tlie neigh- 
bourhood by the vicar and Mr Kandall, 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, a -companied by Messrs Brookes and Kandall, 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 doubtless 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 and 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 late years. 
The next day was spent in a long ramble over a consider.ible 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 difiSculty 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 alarge number have been collected. 
• At this spot the attention of the party was directed to certain shafts which had been snnic in the 
till side, through the \v enloclt shale, in a vain and hopeless search for cottJ. 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. 
