Carboniferous Fossils
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THe,·.,," Jr"'HN GRERAit Uf.=rlARY ~ ~ti __ THE :1!CHN CRERAi-\ '>UBRARY ., .....- GENERALIZED VERTICAL SEOTION OF THE CARBONIFEROUS ROOKS IN THE WEST OF SOOTLAND Distance in FathomB below the AND NEIGHBOURHOOD OF GLASGOW. ' Upper Bed Sandstone. 50--I~;H~0;ri~zo~n~0~f~t~h~e~E~1l~C~Oal~'ill varyingUPPER COALS in thickness AND IRONSTONES.-This from 250 to 300 fathoms, gronp includingof strata. thecomprises upper red a sandstoneseries of bedsthat overlies the workable conls. It consists, in its uPPeJ.' division, of beds of red sandstone, reddish-grey Sa~(ly shales, ~rey nre-clays, dark-grey shales, greyish-white sandstones, and one or two megnlru.' thm beds of eoal; in its middle and lower divisions, of white 100- and greyish-white sandstones, dark-grey sandy clay-shales, fire-clays. and bituminous shales, in which occur, at intervals, strata of clay and blackband ironstone~ with 1:========1 numerous seams of coal, man) of which are workable. I- I The fossils indicate that brackish and fl'e'lh-watcl' conditions have prevailed dW'ing 150- the deposition of the s'tJ:ata, as only in one or two instances, and on widely sepal'a.ted horizons, have indications of marine or carboniferous limestone types of fossils been found, The charactelistic organisms of this upper group consist of reptiles,fishes, shells, 1_~H~o~ri~z~on~ol~lIfi~d~dl~e:""gl crusta.ceans, and plant-remains. 200- Slaty·band iron,tone. J 250- MILLSTONE GRIT SERIES,-This division of our carboniferous strata is not distinguished by any well-marked lithological character, or series of economIe beds. It is repl'esented by a. group of strata lying between the slaty-band ironstone and the upper limestone series, varying from 80 to 150 fathoms in thickness, It consists of thick-bedded sand stones, sandy shales and fire-clay, in which occur some irregular beds of impute 300- limestone and clay ironstone. The strata have been little explored, and the few fossils they have yielded do not seem to differ fl'om those met with in the uuderlying limestone series. 350-==o=~ =t: ~p~ ~) UPPER LIMESTONE SERIES.-The strata of this division conBlst of several well.defined 400 limestones and coat. beds of eaIm, shelly. and impure limestone, ca.lcareous shale, darlr-grey alnminous - shale, clay-ironstone, thick~bedded white sandstone, and one or two workable beds of coal. The Belies averages from 80 to 100 fathoms in thickness. The organic remains __ !O~o.:: o~ ~ _ _ are numerous, and e~nsist of plants, foraminifera., corals, crinoids, crustaees, polyzoa, 450-. Cowglen limestone. shells, and fish-remams. 'i[ LOWER COALS AND IRONSTONES.-This group. althongh o.e""ring in the middle of the 500- limestone seI'ies, is, nevertheless, closely related in its lithological and in several of its HOrizon of the Possil palreontological characters, to the strata of the upper coal-measures. It valies from 70 to 100 fathoms in thickness, and consists of dark· grey, bitUminous, and sandy shales, main eoals and ironstone, fire-clay, thick-bedded white sandstone, numerous bands of clay ironstone, several thin beds of Free and Cannel coal, some of which are wrought in connection with the black. 550- band iJ:onstones of the serie$. The fossils consist of fishes, shells, crustacea.ns, and plant remains, several of the genera. and species of which are roolU'rent in the upper coal J measures. Marine limestone types of fossils have been met with only in one or two 1_....,~H~~~r!lizil;0n!!.!!of~th:!!:e:...._1 widely separated horizons, and are localln their distribution. 600- Govan ironstone. 650- LOWER LIMESTONE SERIES.-This lower diviBion of the limestone BerieB varies in thickness, in the west of Scotland, fl'Om 100 to more than 200 fathoms. In its litho_ logical character it is somewhat similar to that of the upper limestone. At Beith, in Ayrshire, some of the beds of limestone attain a thicknesB of more than 40 feet, but in general they are much thinU61:. One or two workable beds of coal, and numerous 700- --------- >- bands of clay-ironstone occur in sev61'aI horizons of the strata. In some distl'iets, as at Horizon of the Hurlet Campsie, thin beds of estuarine, or fresh-water limestone, containing Entomostracans, and Campsie main and other organisms belonging to species that oceur in the upper coal-measures, alternate with the coal beds and marine limestone. The fossils of themaJ.'ine limestones 750 --------- and shales are numerous, and consist of plants, foraminifera, corals, Clinoids, crustacea) ---------limestone and coal. polyzoa, shells, and ftsll-remains. 800- ) CALCIFEROUS SANDSTONE SERIES.-The strata referred to in this diviSion of our oarboni· ferous system, consist principally of thick-bedded sandstones, which in some localities _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ have yielded a few plant-remains; one or two thin beds of impw'e marine limestone 850- --------- } and shale, containing a few shells and crinoid remains; and a band or two of fresh water limestone. in which occur Entomostracans and fish·l·emafns. Some of the sand.. stones are conglomerates, and the strata in some distl'icts are interbedded with large Sheets of trap and trappean ash. This group in the West of Scotland has been little explored and docs not seem to be rich in fossils. 900- --------- BALlAGAN LIMESTONE SERIES.-The strata of this group consist, in the upper division, of --------- greyish-white sandstones: in the middle, of numerous alternations of thin nodular bands of imPUl'B dolomitic limestone and grey marly sbale; and in the lower, of red =_ =_ =_ =_ =_ =_ =_ =_ =_ l and greyish fiaggy sandstone, intE"rbedded with the limestones and shales. The only 950- --------- J organisms yet found in this series of beds consist of some fragmental'Y remains of --------- fishes Rnd plants of carboniferous types, which, from their chal'acter, indicate the --------- strata as being of freBh·watex origin. Estimated thickness of Calciferous and Hallagan --------- aeries. 200 fathoms. 1000- OLD RED SANDSTONE. CARBONIFEROUS FOSSILS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND; THEIR VERTICAL RANGE AND DISTRIBUTION, By JOHN YOUNG, VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. WITH 1\ GENERAL OATALOGUE OF THE FOSSILS AND THEIR MODE OF OCCURRENCE, AND AN INDEX TO THE PRINCIPAL LOOALITIES, By JAMES ARMSTRONG, HONORARY SECRETARY, GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. GLASGOW: PUBLISHED BY THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, AT THEIR ROOMS IN ANDERSON'S UNIVERSITY BUILDINGS. 1871. AIRD AND COGHILL, L'HINTBRS, GLASGOw. CONTENTS. Generalised Section of the Carboniferous Rocks in the West of Scotland and Neighbourhood of Glasgow, To face Title page. PAGE INTRODUCTION, 1 PLANT~, 3 CATALOGUE, 6 FORAMINIFERA, .13 HYDROZOA, 14 ZOOPHnA, 15 ECHINODERMATA, 19 20 ANNELIDA, 22 23 CRUSTACEA, 24 25 INSECTA, " 31 POLYZOA, 32 33 BRAcmOPODA, 35 37 IuulELLIruRaNCHLATA, 43 45 PTEROPODA, " 55 GASTEROPODA CEPHALOPODA, 61 62 PISOES, 66 68 REPTILIA 77 78 Table of the Classes, Genera, and Species, 80 Index to the Localities- In the Upper Coal Measures, - 81 -- Upper Limestone Series, 84 -- Middle Ironstone Series, 90 -- Lower Limestone Series, 91 -- Calciferous Sandstone Series, 98 -- Ballagan Limestone Series, 99 Postscripj;, - Index to the Genera, 101 ~~ () I ~ 'T I rv,OO ON THE CARBONIFEROUS FOSSILS OF THE WEST OF SOOTLAND. Int1·oduction.-In the following remarks on t.he vertical range and distl'ibution of the Carboniferous Fossils in the coal fields of the West of Scotland, I would have it understood that the vertical range of the various classes of fossils mentioned in the paper is given, not as being absolutely correct, but only so far as is known to me. Future discoveries may extend the range of many organisms in our beds, whilst that of others may become limited to a lesser thickness of strata in cases where the genus or species has been incorrectly detel'minell. Before a more comprehensive view of the range of our carboni ferous fossils can be given, we would require a more exhaustive search of all our various fossiliferous strata, and a complete list made of the remains they contain, whether well or ill-preserved. Hitherto it has been more the cnstom of those fQrming collec tions to confine their researches to those districts where the fossils are in good keeping in the strata, and to neglect other localities in which they are less favourably preserved. By this partial method of research many beds of strata, where the fossils exist only in the form of obscure casts or in a crushed and fragmentary condition, have in It great llle~1snre been overlQokecl, which, if properly examined, would be found to yield nlltny species new either to science or to the strata of the district, ami although perhaps not suited fo1' being displayell in It well-selected cabinet, would cer tainly 1e of great interest both to the geologist and pal::eontologist, B 2 ON THE CARBClNIFEROUS FOSSILS in rightly understanding the various conditions under which they have been preserved, as well as the variety of life that existed in the waters or on the land during the carboniferous period. In the Transactions of this Society there are several good general lists of fossils appended to papers on the geology of various dis tricts in the west of Scotland; but, valuable as these lists may be, they do not adequately represent either the number of species contained in each of the fossiliferous beds in the localities to which the papers refer, or their mode of occurrence. lVhat are wanted are lists of the species found in each stratum, such as those given by Messrs. Crosskey and Robertson in their papers on the Post-Tertiary fossiliferous beds of Scotland.