9. Table of the Classification of the British Trias, and its Foreign Equivalents, from the Rhaetic series downwards.
Foreign equivalents.
A. 1. Rhaetic, or Pennarth beds, finely exposed at Pennarth, Watchett, Westbury, Aust-passage, Uphill, Minlode, Coombe Hill, &c. &c.
Die Kossener Schicten.
A 2. New Red Marl. Red Marls with bands of grey marly clay, occasionally micaceous, and numerous lenticular masses and veins of Gypsum and Rock Salt*. Bivalve Crustacea (Estheria). Rhizopoda in Leicestershire, at the base, at its junction with the Keuper Sandstone.
Keuper. Marnes Irisees.
A 3. Keuper Sandstone. Laminated Sandstone, and interstratified Marls (waterstones), passing down into (variously coloured) pale and deep-red Sandstones. In the centre of England it has a calcareous conglomerate or breccia at the base. In the west of England this appears to be replaced or represented in time by the Dolomitic or Dinosaurian conglomerate which covers the older rocks of the Bristol coal-basin.
Letten-Kohle.
B. Muschelkalk or Calcaire coquillien (?), wanting in England, unless represented by the Dolomitic Conglomerate.
Muschelkalk. Calcaire coquillen.
C 1. Upper Mottled Sandstone. Soft bright-red and variegated sandstones (without pebbles).
C 2. Pebble-beds. Harder reddish -brown sandstone, with quartzose pebbles, passing into conglomerate, with a base of calcareous breccia.
Bunter Sandstein. Gres bigarre, or Gres des Vosges (in part).
3. Lower Mottled Sandstone. Soft bright-red and variegated sandstones without pebbles.
Permian. Discussion.
The President inquired on what ground the author considered these Reptiles to belong to a late period in the Keuper, and was informed that the author spoke especially with relation to the Keuper of the Bristol area, of which the heels containing them occupied the highest position.
Prof. Ramsay regarded these conglomerates not merely as of aqueous origin, but as breccias which had covered the old land surface which had been worked up by the water of the New Red period. He objected to the term Sea having been introduced into the paper, as, though the tracts may have been islands and promontories, and though the water which surrounded them was salt, there was no open sea, but merely a large inland salt lake, in which the New Red Marl was formed. The marl was less connected with the New Red Sandstone than with the Lias. The Muschelkalk being absent,
- None in the Bristol area.
