red and blue marls and greenish shales (No. 12) at the Ledbury tunnel, described by my friend the Rev. W. S. Symonds*, who remarks that " nowhere else could be seen such a view of the ' passage-beds' between the Silurian and Old Red systems ;" but, though at no great distance, they are apparently much less developed along the Woolhope border. I visited this fine section when the tunnel was being made, with several members of the Warwickshire Naturalists' Field Club, and I recollect being much struck with it at the time. Formerly these " passage-beds " were classed by Sir R. Murchison with the Old Red Sandstone; but latterly he has denominated them " passage-rocks," which seems altogether more appropriate, as showing their intermediate character between the Old Red and Silurian. Some geologists, however, I believe, still desire to have them restored to their original position in the Old Red. This is a question which I do not pretend to decide, but which future discoveries of other organic remains may definitely settle, if it is not already satisfactorily determined, my object being rather to point out a greater extension of this series around the Woolhope elevation than had been previously recorded.
There are many interesting and important questions connected with all " passage-beds "†, of which several are known to occur between two great epochs of geological time. It is not impossible that certain old defined lines of demarcation will ultimately have to be remodelled or removed, since such transition-periods may be shown to prove a continuity of the geological record ; thus all such " passage-beds" may, in fact, be connecting links between one great geological epoch and another, rather than breaks in the continuity of succession.
2. On a New Species of Eurypterus (E. Brodiei), from Perton, near Stoke Edith, Herefordshire. By Henry Woodward, Esq., F.G.S., F.Z.S., &c.
In March 1869, the Rev. P. B. Brodie, F.G.S., communicated to the Geological Society a short account of the occurrence of remains of Eurypterus and Pterygotus at Perton (see Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. xxv. p. 235). Mr. Brodie stated that the specimens collected at that time and submitted to me were not considered to be new ; in fact they consisted, for the most part, of fragments of Pterygotus‡ (P. Banksii) and Eurypterus § (E. pygmoeus, E. acuminatus, E. abbreviate, &c), already noticed by Mr. Salter elsewhere.
Since that communication was read, Mr. Brodie has again explored this locality, and has forwarded to me several parts and an almost entire example of a Eurypterus, which differs considerably
- Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. May, 1860, pt. 2. no. 62.
† This question was ably treated by Mr. Judd, in a paper lately read at the Meeting of the British Association in Liverpool.
‡ See Mem. Geol. Surv. Mon. I. 1859, pi. xii. figs. 22-46, p. 51.
§ Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. 1859, vol. xv. pl. x. p. 229.
