LONG EXCURSION TO THE LUDLOW DISTRICT.

AUGUST 3RD TO AUGUST 9TH, 1904. Directors: THE PRESIDENT; W. H. BANKS, M.A.; E. S. COBBOLD, F.G.S.; CHARLES FORTEY; JOHN HOPKINSON, F.G.S. ; FREDERICK KING; Rev. W. M. D. LA TOUCHE, B.A.; C. DAVIES SHERBORN, F.G.S.; AND Miss E. M. R. \VOOD, M.Sc. Excursion Secretary: R. S. HERRIES, M.A., Sec. G.S.

(Report by THE PRESIDENT AND ERNEST DIXON, F.G.S.) August Jrd. TITTERSTONE CLEE HILL AND ORETON.­ The party drove direct from Ludlow to the quarries of the Clee Hill Dhustone Company, where they were met by the Company's Manager, Mr. Frederick King. Under his guidance, they visited the various quarries of the company in the thick bed of olivine­ dolerite (dhustone), of which the base has never been reached in that part. The uniformly fresh, undecomposed aspect of the rock was noted, and Dr. Teall remarked that its quality as road­ metal was probably due to the abundance of well-preserved olivine. A rude columnar structure was observed in many places, and baked shale with Carboniferous fossils was examined in one of the upper quarries. Mr. King explained the method of breaking large blocks of rock by firing, and showed the machinery used for crushing and sorting the pieces. The party were then entertained to luncheon by Mr. and Mrs. King, and, after due acknowledgments, they proceeded to walk along the railway track to the quarries of the Clee Hill Granite Company, where they were received by one of the proprietors, Mr. Richard Lee Roberts. At the entrance to the quarries, two coal-seams were examined in the midst of shaley beds of the true Coal Measures; and at the deeper end of the large quarry (PI. xlii) the total thickness of the dolerite was shown to be 240 ft. The Coal Measures, with typical plant-remains, were studied both above and below the dolerite, and Prof. Watts pointed out that the shales above were more baked at the contact than those beneath. Prof. Watts also remarked on the relations of the Clee Hill dolerite to other volcanic outbursts on the same great line of dis­ turbance north and south, and discussed the possibility of its being of Tertiary age. Before returning to the carriages, some of the party walked over the hill to examine the fossil plants in the shale on the spoil-bank of a neighbouring colliery. The whole party next drove to Farlow, where they left the carriages and proceeded to examine the highly inclined strata, which constitute 488 LONG EXCUR SION TO THE LUDLOW DISTRICT. a complete series from the Upper Old Red Sandstone to the Millstone Grit, as described by Morris and Roberts (J862). The yellow friable Upper Old Red Sandstone was observed at the bottom of the steep lane to the north, in the overgrown roadside quarry where Bothriolepis was discovered nearly half a century hefore. The red marls and pebble-deposits of the Passage Beds were noticed higher up the same lane. The party then crossed the ridge by the road to Oreton, and soon came in view of the fissile and sandy limestones of the Carboniferous Limeston e Series, from which they collected Elasmobranch teeth and numerous other fossils in the Oreton quarries. Soft shales were noticed above the limestone near the middle of the Oreton valley, possibly occupying the position of the Pendleside Series farther north. Very coarse pebbly grit, from the Millstone Grit Series of the neighbouring slope, was also pointed out in a wall. After tea at the village inn, the party drove back over the flank of Clee Hill direct to Ludlow. August 4th. LUDLOW AND STOKESAY.-Before studying the Silurian Rocks in the field the party visited the Museum of the Ludlow Natural H istory Society, where they were received by the Honorary Curator, Mr. Charles Fortey. Mr. Fortey described the history and arrangement of the collection, to which he had prepared a small Guide Book. Members were able to inspect fine examples of all the principal fossils of the district arranged in stratigraphical order. Later in the morning the party pro· ceeded under the direction of Mr. Fortey and the oth er leaders to Whitcliffe Quarry, where numerous typical Upper Ludlow fossils were collected. Thence they walked to Ludford Lane, where they examined a fine exposure of the Ludlow bone-bed, and obtained Beyrichia kloedeni and Lingula cornea, with other fossils, from the mudstones above. Finally, they visited the section of micaceous tilestones on the bank of the River Teme opposite the paper mill, where they found the characteristic Lingula lewisi and obscure plant-remains. In the afternoon the party drove to Downton Hall, where, by permission of Sir Charles Boughton, they visited quarries in the Lower Old Red Sandstone displaying layers of cornstone. The same formation was also examined in the neighbouring Whit­ batch Quarry, whence Cephalaspis and Pteraspis had often been obtained. Much secondarily-deposited calcite was observed in the cornstone. From Downton Hall the party drove to Stokesay Castle, where they were received by the Rev. W. M. D. La Touche, who pointed out the principal features of this old mansion. After tea in the Castle, provided by Mr. and Mrs. La Touche, most of .the members proceeded to examine a quarry in Lower Ludlow mudstone, in which they found trilobites and graptolites with Cardiola interrupta and other characteristic fossils. A few members then ascended Weo Edge to the thick deposit of -

01' -4,y fr) Up eSf-r !.J S h I Per a e lU d l o w ?

Limestone

Carbo n iFerous ------

Doler ite

PLXLII. PROC. GEOL Assoc. VOL. XVIII. PT. 10, 1904 PL. XLII.

F,G. 1 MOCKTREE HILL.

(F"oJl! plwtograplts Ii)' iWr. John J-/oIJ.:insoll, F.(T'.,)"., F.L.S.) LONG EXCURSION TO THE LUDLOW DISTRICT. 489

Pentamerus knighti occurring near the summit in the Aymestry Limestone. The whole party drove back to Ludlow in the evening. August5th. KINGTON AND STANNER.-Early in the morning the party travelled by special train to Kington, where they were met by the Director for the day, Mr. W. H. Banks. They walked along the south side of the valley of the Hales Brook, noticing first a thick deposit, probably of glacial gravel, and then the Upper Ludlow mudstones with their typical fossils. Next they crossed to the north side of the stream, and after a short walk reached the Ivy Chimney quarry, where the yellow Downton Sandstone was being worked. Mr. Banks exhibited a collection of Downtonian fossils (Eurypterids and Cyathaspis banksi), and many fragments of similar fossils were discovered, mostly in the form of rusty stains on the rock. The party returned to Bradnor Lane, and slowlyascended it, examining the section of the Upper Ludlow series exposed in its banks. The thin Ludlow Bone-bed was discovered, while Platyschisma and Orthonota were found to be abundant in the mudstones above, and Lingula cornea proved to be equally common in the base of the yellow Downton Sandstone. The well-known quarry in this sandstone near the summit of Bradnor Hill had not been worked for some years, but after a long search some of the members were rewarded by the discovery of two good specimens of Cyathaspis banksi. Passing along the hillside the next halt was near Quarry House, where a good exposure of the Upper Ludlow yielded Dayia navicula in abundance, Beyrichia, a large Orthoceras, etc. After luncheon here, the party proceeded to examine the Lower Ludlow mudstones in Bradnor Wood, where fragments of Graptolites were found. The walk was then continued to the summit of Starmer Hill, where Prof. Watts pointed out the characters of the gabbros and granophyres, which are well exhibited. Gabbro with veins of granophyres was again seen in a large quarry at the base of the hill, while altered Woolhope Limestone and felsites were studied in quarries beyond Dolyhir. After tea at Dolyhir, the party returned from the station by train direct to Ludlow. August 6th. LUDLOW TO ELTON.-The party walked to the summit of Bringwood Chase, whence a good view was obtained of the Ludlow district, with the dominating Clee Hills in the dis­ tance. They then walked along the track of the Birmingham Waterworks, examining debris from the Upper Ludlow, Aymestry Limestone, and Lower Ludlow, besides several small sections in the same rocks. Blocks of one bed densely packed with Dayia navicula attracted special attention. On reaching Bow Bridge the party descended to the valley, crossed the stream, and pro­ ceeded to examine the Aymestry Limestone, which was well displayed in a large quarry. Pentamerus knighti proved to be 490 LONG EXCURSION TO THE LUDLOW DISTRICT. rare here, but Favosites and other corals were abundant. Carriages were waiting on the main road, and the party drove to a small section in Wenlock Shale on the bank of the Teme west of Burrington. Retiolites nana, Monograptus, and Phacops were found here. They then visited a quarry in Wenlock Shale, inter­ bedded with thin limestones, but with very few fossils. Continu­ ing the drive they noticed the scarps of the Wenlock Limestone and stopped to examine a quarry in this formation at the lower end of Elton Lane. After tea at Elton, the party walked slowly up Elton Lane, collecting numerous Graptolites in the successive zones of Lower Ludlow mudstones exposed in the bank. They then joined the carriages for the return journey to Ludlow, stop­ ping only at Batchcott, where many typical Upper Ludlow fossils were found, including Homalonotus. August 8th. ONIBURY TO CHURCH STRETTON.-The party left Ludlow by train for Onibury, where carriages awaited them. Close to Onibury a quarry in typical Downton Sandstone was examined, but found to contain no fossils beyond indefinite rusty impressions. Red and green marls and micaceous sandstones of the Lower Old Red Sandstone were subsequently observed in a road section, and the drive was continued to Norton, where the well-known fine section of the Ludlow Bone-bed, specially uncovered, was carefully studied. From Norton the party drove to Greenway Cross, where they stopped to visit a quarry in the Aymestry Limestone, which was found to be nodular, with abundant Atrypa reticularis, but apparently no Pentamerus knighti. Along the Corvedale Road and up Siefton Batch, the contour of the country was noted, the successive ridges and hollows being due to the alternating limestones and mudstones. At Harton a roadside section in Wenlock Shale was examined, and various remains of Trilobites (Ampyx, Calymene) and frag­ ments of Graptolites were found. Continuing the drive to Ticklerton the party walked for some distance up the stream to study the Llandovery and upper part of the Caradoc series, which are unconformably overlain by the Silurian. Among the abundant fossils obtained were Pentamerus oblongus and Ortllis vespertilio. At Soudley a large quarry in the base of the Ordovician was visited. The sandstone here exhibited some dark layers, supposed to be tinged with dust from volcanic eruptions. and there were numerous casts of fossils, includ­ ing Orthis alternata, Trinucleus concentricus, and Beyrichia obliqua. Proceeding to Hope Bowdler the party alighted to examine traces of the U riconian Rocks in a farm-yard, and then walked to a roadside-section where the basement-beds of the Ordovician contained angular fragments of the older rocks besides typical Caradoc fossils. The drive was finally continued to Church Stretton, and, after tea, the party returned by train to Ludlow. DISCOVERY OF THE MARSUPITES ZONE. 491

August 9th. MocKTREE, LEINTWARDINE, AND AY:vIESTRY. -The party drove direct by the Fiddler's Elbow to the quarries in the Aymestry Limestone on Mocktree Hill. The curious unconformity between the limestone and the overlying Upper Ludlow mudstone (Pl. xlii), described by Lightbody in 1863, was observed. Numerous characteristic fossils were also collected, and cherty bands were noticed. Walking down the road small sections in the Lower Ludlow were examined, and .llfonograptus tumescens was found. The drive was then continued to a road-section in the Lower Ludlow near Stormer Hall, where more numerous and better preserved Graptolites were discovered. The party next halted at Leintwardine, and devoted much time to a thorough examination of the well-known quarry in the Lower Ludlow on Church Hill. Several well-preserved star-fishes were obtained, besides plates of Dithyrocaris, large Orthocera­ tites, and various common fossils. The party then drove by Wigmore Castle to Aymestry, where they studied the typical sections of Aymestry Limestone along the banks of the river Lugg, and passed the residence of the late Rev. T. T. Lewis, who first explored this formation. Finally they drove back to Ludlow over the battlefield of Mortimer's Cross and through Lucton, over the low ground of the Lower Old Red Sandstone.

NOTE ON THE DISCOVERY OF THE MARSUPITES ZONE NEAR CROYDON. IN the report of the exhibit by Mr. G. E. Dibley at the Meeting of the Association on June 3rd, 1904, p. 428, it was omitted to state that the discovery of ll1arsupites, at the corner of Peaks Hill Road, near Russell Hill, Purley, was made by Messrs. William Wright and Bennett C. Polkinghorne, B.Sc., F.C.S., on May 15th, 19°4; and that the notes which they had submitted to the Association, on September 28th, were anticipated by the paper in the Geological Magazine, by Dr. J. G. Hinde, who had been working independently at the same subject. (EDITOR.)

EXCURSION TO CUMNOR.

AN excursion was conducted to this place on June :15th, 1904, but no report has yet been received. (EDITOR), December erst, I904.