Page:Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London, vol. 26.djvu/503

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

XXX

Exogyra spiralis, Rom., var.

undata, Sow.

Pecten cinctus, Sow.

lineo-costatus, Rom.

atavus, Rom.

Avicula Cornuelianus D' Orb. (A. macroptera, Rom.)

Lima semicostata, Rom.

Serpula Phillipsi, Rom.

unilineata, Rom.

gordialis, Schloth.

angulosa, Rom.

antiquata, Sow.

quinqueangulata, Rom.

Terebratula sella, Sow.

Moutoniana, D' Orb.

faba, Sow.

tamarindus, Sow.

hippopus, Bom. nee D' Orb.

Crania irregularis, Rom.

Toxaster eomplanatus (Gmel.), Ag.

Holaster Hardyi, Dub.

Dysaster ovulum, Ag.

Pygurus Mrmtmolini, Ag.

Nucleolites Olfersii, Ag.

Gresslyi, Ag.

Pyrina pygsea, Desor.

Holectypus macropygus, Desor.

Diadema rotulare, Ag.

Bourgueti, Ag.

Montlivaltia explanata, Bom., sp.

Cladophyllia nana, Bom., sp.

Holocoenia micrantha, Bom. sp.

Thamnastrsea Leunisi, Bom. sp.

oblonga, Sow. ' Very numerous species of sponges*.

M. von Strombeck considers that these Lower Neocomian beds of Brunswick are divisible into two zones (Zone of Toxaster complanatus, and Zone of Ammonites bidichotomus), the uppermost of which he parallels with the Mantes d'Hauterive of Switzerland, and the lower he doubtfully refers to M. Desor's " Valanginien "†.

Throughout the whole of North-western Germany the Neocomian strata lie underneath a great mass of clays, including the Flammenmergel and some other deposits, some of which locally pass into sands, the whole being over 300 feet thick.‡ These beds (in their upper portion, at least) are clearly seen by their fossils to represent our Gault ; their lower portion may possibly represent some of the beds intermediate between the Gault and Neocoruian, generally absent in this country. These clays are in turn overlain by the various beds of the chalk, which present many points of analogy with the equivalent beds in the north of England ; this is especially seen in the presence of red beds in the lower part of the series, though these are of much greater thickness and importance in Germany than in this country.

The strata next below the ISTeocomian of Westphalia, Hanover, and the Hartz consist of that great mass of fluviatile beds, in places reaching to a thickness of 2650 feet (?), and containing many

  • Vide Fr. Ad. Romer, " Die Spongitarien des norddeutsehen Kreidegebirges." Palaeontographica, vol. xiii. (1864).
Tbe presence in considerable abundance of Pecten cinctus, Sow., in the 

Lower Neocomian of Brunswick is a very interesting circumstance. Tbis sbell appears generally to characterize well, by its constant presence and great abun- dance, the Middle Neocomiim in Northern Europe, and to take the place of the Chama ammonia of the same beds in Southern Europe. In Brunswick and the south of France (in which ]ast district, however, it appears to be rare) this shell occurs in the Lower Neocomian.

| The red sandstones, containing Ammonites auritus, Sow., of Neuenheerse, in the Trutoburger Wald, perhaps form a link between the Gault clays, with which they are associated, and the Hunstanton limestone, which, as we have seen, is last found in Heligoland.

VOL. XXVI. PART I. 2 B