4.

Fig. 3. Pecten Suttonensis, Tawn. Sutton and Southerndown series.
Etheridgii, Tawn. Sutton and Southerndown series.
Sutton and Southerndown series.

5. Pinna insignis, Tawn.

6. Lima angusta, Tawn. Sutton series.

7.

8.

9.

planicostata, Tawn.
subduplicata, Tawn.
Dunravenensis, Tawn.

10. Anomia socialis, Tawn.

Sutton series.

Sutton and Southerndown series.
Sutton and Southerndown series.
Sutton series.

Fig. 1. Ammonites Dunravenensis, Tawn. Sutton series.

PLATE IV.

Sutton series.

Sutton series.

Sutton series.

5. Anatina præcursor, Quenst.
6. Cardita rhomboidalis, Tawn.

Avicula-contorta sandstones.
Sutton series.

7. Cyprina normalis, Tawn. Sutton series.

8. Modiola imbricato-radiata, Tawn. Sutton series.
9a, 96. Patella Suttonensis, Tawn. Sutton series.

10. Natica Pylensis, Tawn. Avicula-contorta sandstones.

2. Notes on a SECTION of LOWER LIAS and RHETIC BEDS, near WELLS, SOMERSET. By the Rev. P. B. BRODIE, M.A., F.G.S.

THE accidental lowering of a road at Milton Lane, one mile and a half north of Wells, exposed a very interesting section of Lias and Rhætic beds, which has not been referred to by Mr. Dawkins in his paper "On the Relations of the Liassic and Rhætic Series in Somersetshire." This section is the more deserving of notice because, as a general rule, the sections in the immediate neighbourhood only exhibit the White Lias and Rhætic beds, and these have not hitherto been recorded so near the city in a northerly direction, nor so close to the Mendips; and in this case we have the "Lima-beds" the highest seen, passing into and overlying the White Lias and the Avicula-contorta zone. The nearest section to Wells described by Mr. Dawkins, showing the White Lias and Rhætic series, though very obscure, is at Pen Knowle, about five miles west of the town. The Milton-Lane section gives a clearer view of the succession of the "Lima-beds" downwards, and I can confirm Mr. Dawkins's statement that the "White Lias" rests immediately upon the Rhætic bedst; for whether the strata below No. 4 in the annexed section, down to the "White Lias," belong to the "Lima series," which is most probable, and to which I have referred them, or form a reduced equivalent of the "Insect and Saurian beds," it is evident that the latter do not here or elsewhere underlie the "White Lias." The following is the section at Milton Lane, in descending order :

* This was also pointed out by Mr. Bristow in his paper communicated to the Bath Meeting of the British Association.

At Harbury, in Warwickshire, the Lima-beds rest immediately on the White Lias.

This section was taken conjointly with my friend Mr. James Parker.

Rhætic Series.

White Lias.

Lima-beds.

Section at Milton Lane.

1. Thick blue limestones, compact, containing Lima gigantea, feet. inches.
L. duplicata and another species, Hemicardium cardio-
ides, Pinna, Myacites, Pecten, Pholadomya, and Wald-
heimia perforata (same species as in No. 4), Ammonites
Bucklandi, A. Conybeari, and Nautilus striatus

5

0

0

2. Clay and bands of indurated rubbly limestone, often no-
dular, with many fossils, especially Lima gigantea...... 6
Thicker beds of sandy limestone, divided by sand, from
4 to 8 inches thick; very fossiliferous

3.

4. Sandy limestones and intercalated shale, numerous fos-
sils-Lima duplicata, Lima?, small Avicula, Trochus
(same species as in No. 5), and Waldheimia perforata*
5. Hard sandy shelly limestone, very fossiliferous, with par-
ticles of quartz, and shaly partings 2 or 3 inches each,
yielding Ammonites (very imperfect) and casts of As-
tarte and Trochus......

6. White Lias limestone, hard, close-grained, containing the
usual fossils, especially Cardium Rheticum, Modiola
Hillana, Lima, and Pecten. I did not observe Ostrea
intusstriata, nor any corals

7. Soft marly shale (base of White Lias), with Modiola mi-
nima, M. Hillana, Cardium Rheticum, Lima, and
spiny Plicatula

8. A peculiar bed, with much quartz, broken and rubbly
9. Black shales, with thin layers of selenite in some parts,
and frequent traces of peroxide of iron, from 6 inches
to inch thick. Contains Cardium Rhæticum and Avi-
cula contorta unusually well preserved, and casts of other
small bivalves and apparently some minute seed-vessels
of some plant. The shells were tolerably abundant, but
the genera few

10. Grey marl; with the exception of traces of small plants,
no fossils were observed.

4

11. Alternations of clay and marl, rather variable, about 3 or
4 inches thick

12. Hard grey marl, similar to No. 15, becoming harder as it
ascends

13. Soft green marl and shale.

1

14. Series of grey and yellow marls, with layers of marl near
the top, where it is more indurated

15. Marly parting.....

0

64

216

Trias.

16. Red and white marls.

The Lima-series here amounts to 27 feet, the White Lias to 10 feet 4 inches. The Rhætic (including the grey marls) to 18 feet 6 inches. I could see no trace of Ammonites planorbis, nor any of the peculiar limestones indicating the " Insect and Saurian” zones, which seem to be entirely wanting, the Lima-beds resting immediately upon the "White Lias." There is certainly a greater thickness of Lias at this spot than might have been at first sight expected, considering that, as a whole, it thins out towards the Mendips, with which it here comes into almost immediate contact. The direction of the lane is nearly at right angles to the strike of the beds, which dip about ten degrees, but somewhat irregularly, being much disturbed to the north-east. I found one piece of bone-bed lying loose at the lower end of the lane, near the bed No. 14, full of bones, teeth, * Most of the shells in nos. 1 & 4 were too imperfect for determination of the species.