Page:Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London, vol. 27.djvu/393

 siderable portion of the body ; the others are chiefly fragments of the body, heads, tails, claws, and swimming-feet. I was fortunate enough to discover an almost entire specimen of a new species of Eurypterus, which Mr. Woodward has named E. Brodiei, and described at the meeting of the British Association at Liverpool. He pointed out that it " differed slightly from all other well-known species in the form of the swimming-feet, in the palpi, but most of all in the form of the thoracic plate"*. It is perfect from the head to the apex of the sharp-pointed tail, and measures 2-1/2 inches in length, and 10 lines in the broadest part of the body, and has a portion of one of the swimming-feet attached"†. These shales contain a species of coral (Actinophyllum), not very common ; but I could observe no shells, nor the Beyrichioe, and only a few of the Leperditioe, which characterize them elsewhere.

In addition to the Lycopodites, there are other plants, which I sent to Mr. Carruthers for determination; he informs me that, " although very interesting, they are rather fragmentary, and, like most fossil plants, difficult to determine. The best-marked is a dichotomously branching plant, which would be referred to an Alga by most botanists. I believe, however, it is a true land-plant, which has had vascular tissue in its composition, and a sufficiently indurated structure to resist decomposition. It may belong to Dawson's genus Psilophyton ; but more specimens are necessary before this can be decided. There are several bodies which look like seeds, but are more probably sporangia. They are certainly land-plants"‡.

I have not been able to find any traces of the numerous fish discovered at Ledbury and Ludlow ; but it is possible that a closer and longer search would detect them§. At Prior's Court, about a mile south-west of this spot, there is a small exposure of the sandstones, showing nearly 2 feet of divided beds of yellow sandstone, with carbonaceous remains, resting on the Upper Ludlow, but no " olive shales." At none of these places could I discover the " bone-bed," which has been long since noticed at Hagley, not far from this point on the north-east, first by the late Mr. Scobie, an active member of the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club, and afterwards by my lamented friend H. E. Strickland, where, many years ago, in company with the latter and Sir R. Murchison, we found the " bone-bed " and numerous remains of Pterygotus ; but these were in the Ludlow rock, and not in the passage-beds which occur there, according to my friend Mr. Symonds, who states that they are present thoracic plates, of this new species.
 * There are in my collection at least three swimming- feet, and two or more

† It is imbedded in a yellow, somewhat soft, micaceous sandstone, connected with the " olive shales."

‡ It need scarcely be remarked that the occurrence of terrestrial plants, some of which may very possibly be new, besides those curious bodies long ago described by Dr. Hooker, and referred by him to Lycopodium, is a matter of much interest in strata of this age.

§ Mr. Symonds informs me that he has found a Pteraspis there, which is now in the possession of Lord Enniskillen.