And Lincoln-Shires

Morris—Oolites of Northampton, $-c. 99 I have sought to commemorate the successful labours of the late Mr. Bean in exploring the fossiliferous beds of the Yorkshire Oolites, by dedicating this genus to him. EXPLANATION OF PLATE IV. Fig. 1. Beania gracilia, sp. nov. From a specimen in the Bean Collection, British Museum. Fig. 2. Young female cone of Zamia muricata, Willd. Fig. 3. Section of the same, showing the young seeds attached to the scales. Being a longitudinal section only a single seed is seen connected with each scale. Fig. 4. A single scale, with its two ripe seeds, of Macrozamia spiralis, Miq. Figs. 1, 2, and 3 natural size. Fig. 4, two-thirds the natural size.- II.—GEOLOGICAL NOTES ON PAETS OF NOBTHAMPTON- AND LINCOLN- SHIBES. By J. MOBEIS, F.G.S. A LTHOUGH the geology of the Midland Counties has been con- J_JL siderably elucidated, still there appear to be some points connected with the position and nomenclature of the Lower Oolites which require re-examination. Having long since published some observations upon this district,1 in which the position of certain beds was somewhat doubtfully given, I am desirous to recall attention to the conclusions then arrived at by myself, as well as to others bearing upon the district subsequently published.2 The geologist who has personally examined the strata between the Upper Lias and Cornbrash, as they range between Gloucester- shire and Yorkshire, or who may have become acquainted with them from the writings of Strickland, Hull, Lycett, and Wright, in the south-western area, and of Phillips,Williamson, Oppel, and Leckenby, in the northern, must be aware of the great lithological (and in part palseontological) differences which exist in the two districts, and would probably infer, that beds of an intermediate character might be found in the countries lying between them.3 In the south-western area the Lower Oolitic series attains its normal development both in formations and thickness, and presents a character almost entirely marine. This series consists mainly of limestones with intercalated sandstones, and clays, rich in Testacea, Corals, and Echinoderms, with occasional traces of land-plants in the Stonesfield slates of the Cotteswolds, which become more abundant in the similar beds of Oxfordshire, where they are associated with Eeptiles, Fishes, and Terrestrial Mammalia. The series attenuates rapidly as we proceed easterly, (as pointed 1 See Brit. Assoc. Eeports, 1847, p. 127, and Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc 1853, Vol. ix., p. 317. 2 See Memoirs Geol. Survey of Great Britain, 1860, Description of Sheet No. 63, S.E,and 1861, Description of Sheet, No. 53, N.E. 3 See the interesting paper by Professor Phillips, " On some comparative sections in the Oolitic and Ironstone series of Yorkshire, Quart. Jour. Geol. Soc. Vol. xiv,— "Neither can the Bath type of the Oolites be adapted to the midland districts of England without some important changes." (P. 86). Also Geol. York. i. p. 130. 100 Morris—Oolites of Northampton, <f"o. out by Mr. Hull,) BO that the Inferior Oolite, which attains a thickness of 250 feet at Leckhampton, is reduced at Stonesfield, near Oxford, to 15 feet. The Fullers Earth and Great Oolite are subject to similar variations. The former, as well as the Bradford clay, becoming thicker to the south, while the sands below the Inferior Oolite also vary in thickness in the same area. Professor Phillips has alluded to a similar variation in the York- shire area, " The great series of sandstones, shales, coal plants, and ironstones lying above the Lias and below the Oolite of Gristhorpe, 500 feet thick in the Peak and the great range of cliffs at Stainton- dale, is only 270 feet thick near Thirsk, and is further reduced near Bransby, until on the banks of the Derwent it is scarcely traceable." (op. cit. p. 97). The whole thickness of the south-western formation, where fully developed, is upwards of 600 feet. The marine conditions and cal- careous character of the strata in this area is strongly contrasted with that of Yorkshire, where the limestones are extremely thin, and are intercalated with sandstones, clays, ironstones, and shales, containing an abundance of land-plants such as Cycads, Ferns, and Coni- ferse, with beds of " Moorland Coal" accompanied with JJnio and Estheria: the whole series having a somewhat corresponding thickness of 600 to 700 feet. Thus the difference of condition in these two districts of deposition is well-marked by the abundance of organic and chemically-formed deposits (limestones) in the one area, and of inorganic or mechanically-formed deposits (shales and sandstones) in the other. Besides which, in the latter area, the geological sequence between the Lias and Cornbrash is not com- plete, for the associated thin limestones contain fossils from which it is inferred that the whole series should be classed with the Inferior Oolite, the equivalents of the Great Oolite, Bradford Clay, and Forest Marble being there wanting; this view is taken by Dr. Lycett,1 and also by Dr Wright.8 Dr. Oppel, however, whilst he includes the Lower Sandstone, Shale, and impure Limestone and underlying Dogger with the Am. Murchisonce and Am. Hvmvphriesianus zones of the Inferior Oolite,3 appears to consider the Upper Sandstone and Shale as belonging to the Bath Oolite formation.4 On the other hand, Dr. Oscar Fraas says, " In the north of England (Yorkshire), the lowercoal or moorland sandstone consist of a great local sandstone formation, with a large quantity of fragments of plants which is placed between rthe Inferior Oolite and the " Grey" Limestone of Phillips. But the Grey limestone of Yorkshire is merely what the Fuller's-earth of the south, the Marnes a foulon and the Marnes vesuliennes also are, the 8 of the Swabian " Brown Jura." 5 Professor Phillips, however, from the comparative sections given in the paper before alluded to, seems to be of opinion that the Oolite of Gristhorpe is the equivalent of the Bath Oolite, and that the over- 1 Pal. Sdo. Suppl. to Gr. Ool. Mollusca, p. 115. The Cotteswold Hills, p. 74. * Quart. Journ. Geol. Soe. 1859. D'Orb. Prodrome, 1850. » Die Jura-Formation, p. 326, 333. * Ibid, p. 439. 6 Quart. Journ. Qeol. Soc. vii. Translations, p. 60. Morris—Oolites of Northampton, <fe. 101 lying shales and sandstones represent an upper part of the same formation. It is to some points in the Geology of the intermediate area that the following observations refer. The Ferruginous Sand and Sand-rock, sometimes oolitic, of North- amptonshire, formerly referred to the Inferior Oolite, but subsequently called the "Northampton Sands," and referred to the Stonesfield Slate (Great Oolite),immediately overlies the Upper Lias Clay, and vary in thickness from 20 to 60 feet. This rock, presenting nearly similar lithological characters, and occupying the same stratigraphical position, may be traced more or less continuously over the whole district through which the Nen and Welland flow. It is this rock which is now so largely explored in many localities of the district for the extraction of iron-ore. It presents, however, some well marked zones (especially near North- ampton) which differ in the amount of iron they contain, as well as in the abundance of their fossil remains. In the neighbourhood of Northampton this rock, reposing on the Lias, is overlain by Sand, Sandstones, and clay, containing fragmentary plant-remains, which are again covered by a considerable thickness of hard and soft limestones, rich in fossils, mostly belonging to the Great Oolite, as may be seen in tracing a section from the lower part of Northampton, in an ascending series, by Kingsthorpe, to the quarries on the Moulton-road, near to which a shaft was sunk, through the Lias, to a considerable depth, in search of Coal. A similar sequence is also seen in ascending from the Canal, near the Railway Station at Blisworth, to the quarries in the Oolite above the village, which, as on the opposite side of the valley, is covered by Drift clay. Amongst the fossils of the Bed Rock may be enume- rated:—Tancredia axiniformis, Isocardia cordata, Trigonia v— costata, Quenstedtia laevigata 1 Hinnites velatus, H. abjectus, Ter. trilineata, Echinobrissus clunicvlaris, Hyboelypus agariciformis, Pygaster semisul- catus, Cardivm Buckmanni, Pecten personatus, Ceromya Bajociana, Cypricardia acutangula, D'Orb. Macrodon Hirsonensis, Pecten de- missus, P. personatus, Ostrea Marshii f Lima bellvla, Z. punctata, L. pectiniformis, Astarte elegans, Trigonia Phillipsi, T. costata, Pliola- domya fidictda, P. Heraulti, Gresslya abducta, Chemnitzia vittata, Nerincea cingenda, Am. bifronsf Am. corrugatus, Belemnites, Nautilus, all of which are characteristic of the Inferior Oolite. Some of these fossils are found in the same rock at Cranford and Woodford near Thrapstone, and other localities in this district. Thus it appears that this rock, so persistent in character and fossil contents over a large area, should be assigned to the position in which it was originally placed—as described in Conybeare and Phillips,1 and later by Dr. Oscar Fraas,2 who remarks, under his section " Lower Brown Jura," that, " to the north of Bath, Sand-* stones re-appear in part as great local formations, as at Northampton 1 Outlines of Geology, England and Wales, 1821, p. 218. s On the Comparison of the German Jura with that of France and England. See Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. yol. vii. 1851, Translation; p. 58. 102 Morris—Oolites of Northampton, <fc. and Cheltenham, which are known as Inferior Oolite. These formations change from the coarsely Oolitic character, through all shades, to the finest sand, sometimes brown and ferruginous, sometimes white, with yellow bands (Arbury Hill). Ammonites Murchisonce is certainly wanting, but Peeten personatus, Glypeus sinuatus, Phola- domya obtusa, and others are chiefly foimd." Oppel refers these beds to the same period,1 and Dr.

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