Page:The South Staffordshire Coalfield - Joseph Beete Jukes - 1859.djvu/134

116 distinct from I. Kenigii; Pleurorhynchus aquicostatus; new species of Bellerophon; Pleurotomaria; Chemnitzia; Cyclonema; and other spiral shells. We may hope to have several of the new species published under the auspices of the Palæontographical Society.

The limestone was evidently a deep-water formation, and very tranquilly deposited.

Of the next succeeding or Lower Ludlow formation no list has been yet published. From the neighbourhood of Parkes Hall a good many species have occurred to the persevering search of Mr. John Gray. The following are a few of these. Bivalves seem to have been the most abundant, such as—

Orthonota semisulcata, O. impressa, O. rigida, O. amygdalina; Pterinea lineatula, P. Sowerbyi; Avicula ampliata and A. mira; Mytilus mytilimeris; Goniophora cymbaformis; Schizodus; Cardiola striata; and many others.

Several of the Brachiopods which occur in the limestone are also found in the shale, and need not be repeated here.

The Lingula Lewisti and Discina rugata, D. striata, and a new species, are frequent. Strophomena euglypha, S. depressa, &c. Orthis is rare. Spirifer interlineatus, Pentamerus galeatus and P. linguifer, Althyris tumida, and Rhynchonella Wilsoni, are some of them.

Spiral shells are numerous, though not of many species.

Pleurotomaria undata, and a new discoid species; Murchisonia Lloydii; Euomphalus alatus; Conularia; Cyrtolites, large and fine specimens; Bellerophon dilatatus, B. trilobatus, of very large size, and at least two other species; of Cephalopods, Orthoceras angulatum, O, bilineatum, O. annulatum, O. perelegans, Phragmoceras compressum; the large Lituites giganteus, and the small and rarer species, L. articulatus, all occur in these prolific shales.

Encrinites and corals are but scarce; and of Bryozoa only Ptilodictya lanceolata has yet been found; Trachyderma squamosa, an annelide common in the Lower Ludlow rocks of other localities, is found also here. There are six or seven species of trilobites, the Calymene and Encrinurus variolaris being the chief. Phacops caudatus is not uncommon; and the valves of a large Ceratiocaris are in Mr. John Gray's collection.

But few fossils have been collected from this band, which nevertheless has an historical interest in connexion with the Silurian System. The limestone of Sedgley was clearly distinguished from the underlying Wenlock bands by the late Rev. T. T. Lewis, who correctly compared it with his native Aymestry rocks. The Pentamerus Knightii is found in it abundantly, but it is worth notice that this most characteristic shell occurs (though rarely) in the Wenlock of this very locality, and also of Presteign. It is also found in the Lower Ludlow rocks of several districts. Its true place is, however, clearly in the Aymestry limestone. At Sedgley, at the Beacon Hill, and at the Park School, some of the other Aymestry fossils have been found, viz., Phacops caudatus, the common Atrypa reticularis, Spirifer plicatellus, variety interlineatus, and Rhynchonella Stricklandi, together with Strophomena depressa, a Turbo, and a cup coral. There must be many more if the rock were carefully searched.