INFERIOR OOLITE SERIES: BRIDPORT. 59 
road-cutting, and cliff-section, are subject to much variation. In 
the Terebratula-bed, the common species T. sph&roidalis occurs 
in shoals, in the neighbourhood of Burton Bradstock ; but this 
species is less abundant in some of the quarries further inland, to 
the east of Bridport ; and sometimes two bands, with many 
specimens of the Brachiopod, are to be seen. At Burton Brad- 
stock the species occurs above and below the Terebr a tula-bed, 
and it is associated with T. Phillipsi and Waldheimia carinata. 
Further inland the main mass of the Inferior Oolite is faulted 
out of sight between Burton Bradstock and Bothenhampton ; but 
reappearing at Shipton Gorge, it continues in a very irregular 
form, much faulted and with several outlying portions, by Power- 
stock (Poorstock) to Beaminster and Broadwindsor. The Sands 
below form a broader belt of land, not however always clearly 
distinguished on the Geological Survey Map, from the Upper 
Lias, nor indeed from, the Middle Lias sands, which much 
resemble them. They stand out in conspicuous grassy knolls, 
near Bridport and Symondsbury (see Fig. 136, p. 465), distin- 
guished thus from the gorse-covered hills of Upper Greensand, 
and from the flat -topped outliers of Inferior Oolite. Sections 
may be seen in many places in the deep lanes or hollow- ways that 
traverse the district ; especially in the country near Beaminster, 
and in the neighbourhood of Yeovil. 
Numerous quarries are to be met with in the Inferior Oolite, 
for it has been largely used for road-metal, for building-purposes, 
and especially stone-fences, and for lime-burning. Many of the 
sections have been described by Dr. Wright, Mr. Hudleston, and 
others ; but the greatest difficulty is experienced in fixing any 
precise lithological or palseontological divisions, for there are no 
constant characters that can be depended upon. 
Generally the following lithological divisions will be found in 
the area from Bridport to Beaminster : 
FT. INS. 
4. Pale grey oolitic and earthy limestones - 4 to 12 
3. Iron-shot and oolitic limestones - 10 to 12 
2. Brown sandy and earthy limestones, with occasional 
iron- shot grains - - 2 to 3 
1. Yellow micaceous sands with indurated bands of cal- 
careous sandstone - - about 150 
The Inferior Oolite increases to srme extent in thickness as we 
proceed inland from the coast-stations. 
When studying these beds in 1884 I collected carefully from 
the paler oolites on top (including the Terebr atula-beds), and 
from the iron-shot beds below, these being the only general dis- 
tinctions that could be made ; but subsequent experience shows 
that these characters are not to be relied upon, even locally, for 
fixing zonal divisions, and the evidence furnished by those who 
have paid especial attention to the organic remains, shows that no 
definite planes of demarcation separate the zones. We have 
practically to deal with a succession of deposits that in places at 
any rate were continuous, and with a succession of organic 
