282 
Reports and Proceedmgs — 
Stage C. — Yoredale Beds. 3000 feet in Lancashire; Upper 
Limestones and “ Lower Coal and Ironstone series ” of Scotland ; 
Skale series of Kilkenny and Carlow ; Ironstone shales of Lougli 
Allen, witk marine shells. 
Stage B. — Carboniferous Limestone. Mountain Limestone of 
Derbyskire ; “ Scaur Limestone ” in Yorkskire ; “ Lower Lime- 
stone ” (Roman camp) of Scotland ; Carboniferous Limestone of 
Ireland. 
Stage A. — Lower Limestone Skale of England. Calciferous Sand- 
stone series (“ Tuedian,” Tate) of N. of England and Scotland ; 
Lower Carboniferous Sandstone, N. of Ireland ; Lower Carboni- 
ferous slate, witk Coomkola grits, witk marine sliells, S. of Ireland. 
(In Scotland, estuarine or lacustrine.) 
P alcEontological Results. — On making a census of the Molluscan 
and otker fossils from tke various stages above tkat of the Carboni- 
ferous Limestone (Stage B.) as determined by tke pakeontologist of 
tke Geological Survey, some interesting results were obtained, 
showing tke prevalence of marine conditions up into Stage E, and a 
general change in tke oharacter of the fauna in tke succeeding 
stages. Including only tke area of tke British Islands, it was found 
tkat no fewer tlian 37 genera, witk 74 or 75 species, of decidedly 
marine forms, occur in tke Gannister-beds (Stage E), of wliick all 
tke genera and about 40 species were known in tke stage of tke 
Carboniferous Limestone. 1 Tke series includes Phillipsia, wkick 
has been found by Dr. F. Römer, in the representatives of Stage E 
in Silesia. 
On tke otker kand, of the wkole number of species in Stage E 
(Ganuister beds), only 6 are known in the overlying Stages F and G, 
these being ckaracterized by tke prevalence of bivalves of supposed 
lacustrine or estuarine habitats, vaiiously called “ Unio ” and “ An- 
tkracosia.” Of tke few species of marine genera known in Stage F 
(Middle Coal-measures), about 5 or 6 species are peculiar to itself, 
according to the deterinination of the late Mr. Salter. 
Such a remarkable difference in tke fauna of tke Upper and 
Middle Coal-measures, as compared witk tkat of tke Ganuister beds, 
constituted, in tke autkor’s opinion, sufficient grounds for drawing 
a divisional line between tkose two divisions of tke Carboniferous 
series. Of tke several existing methods of Classification adopted by 
different authors, none of tkem appeared sufficiently to recognize 
tke palmontological distinctions and ckaracteristics of the several 
formations. Tke large number of genera and species which are now 
known to ränge up from tke Carboniferous Limestone into tke Gan- 
nister beds, and no kigker, indicated tke proper horizon for a divi- 
sional line, in fact a pakeontological break at tke top of the Gan- 
nister beds. 
On tke other kand, tke mineral and palasontological differences 
1 In tke discussion which followed the reading of Prof. Hull’s paper, the author in 
replying remarked that it seemed to hira that sufficient importance had not 
been given to the pnkeontological break above the Ganuister beds; out of 7i species 
of marine genera below this line not more than 6 pass upwards. 
