of Prof. Beyrich *, beds clearly referable by their fossils to the Neocomian. These beds dip at a very high angle (70°), and perhaps form an anticlinal ; they consequently occupy only a very small area.
I found these beds to vary very greatly in character within short distances, sometimes consisting of dark-blue clays, in places containing beds of ironstone, sometimes passing into interstratified clays and limestones (greatly resembling those of Tealby), and sometimes consisting of unfossiliferous white, greenish, and brown, often conglomeratic, sands and sandstones. The clays and limestones here yield an abundant fauna, which enables us to refer the beds, without the slightest doubt, to the Middle Neocomian. The fossils which I collected from these beds in the vicinity of Ocker are as follows :—
Pecten cinctus, Sow. (very abundant).
Exogyra sinuata, Sow. (very abundant).
Belemnites jaculum, Phil, (very abundant).
— lateralis, Phil. ?
Ostrea macroptera, Sow.
Pecten orbicularis, Sow.
Serpula antiquata, Sow.
— filiformis, Sow.
Terebratula, sp.
Rhynchonella multiformis, Rom.
Sponges.
Northwards from Goslar, at the brickyard of Olhey, blue clays are dug, containing Ammonites Deshayesi, Leym., Ammonites Martini, D'Orb., Crioceras, sp., and other shells, which show clearly that these beds belong to the Upper Neocomian.
The " Subhercynischer Unter-Quader-Sandstein," like the Hilssandstein, which it resembles in general characters, contains but few fossils. These beds have been referred by M. von Strombeck to the Gault ; it is not improbable, however, that they will prove to represent the highest member of the Neocomian.
6. Brunswick. — In this country the Neocomian series is more complete than in any other part of North- Western Germany ; and it has been most admirably illustrated by the map and the various memoirs by M. von Strombeck†, who during many years has devoted himself with so much zeal and success to the study of the geology of this district.
The Upper Neocomian is represented by the following succession of beds.
(1) Whitish marly clay seen in the neighbourhood of Brunswick and at several other points — " Gargas-Mergel " ("zone of Ammonites Nisus," Von Strombeck). The fossils of this bed are —
Belemnites Ewaldi, Von Stromb.
Ammonites Nisus, D' Orb.
— Deshayesi, Leym.
— Martini, D Orb.
Toxoceras Royerianus, D' Orb.
Avicula aptiensis, D'Orb.
Rhynchonella lineolata, Phil.
Terebratula Martiniana, D' Orb.
— Moutoniana, D' Orb.
— hippopus, D'Orb., non Rom.
Pollicipes, sp.
Cidaris, sp.
- Beyrich, Zeitschr. d. deutschen geol. Gesellsch. i. p. 302, Karte iii. Karte 15;
ix. p. 415 ; xi. p. 73, &c.
† Geognostiche Karte des Herzogthums Braunschweig, 1856. Beilage zu der geognostiche Karte des Herzogthums Braunschweig, 1857. " Ueber die Neocomien-Bildung,"&c, Zeitschr. d. d. geol. Gesell. vol. i. p. 462. " Ueber die Echimiden des Hils-Konglomerat." &c. Neu. Jahrb. 1855, p. 641. "Bemerkungen uber des Hils-Konglomerat und den Speeton-Clay bei Braunschweig," Neu. Jahrb. 1855, p. 159. " Ueber der Gault," &c. Zeitschr. d. d. geol. Gesell. 1861, p. 20, &c. &c.
