IV.—Notes on the Bivalves contained in the Gilbertson Collection, British Museum, and Figured in Phillips's “Geology of Yorkshire.”

Extract

BY far the larger proportion of the Carboniferous fossils described and figured by the late Professor John Phillips, F.R.S., in the second volume of his “Illustrations of the Geology of Yorkshire,” and published in 1836, are contained in the collection of the late Mr. Gilbertson, of Clitheroe, now deposited in the Geological Department of the British Museum. The early date of publication of this work renders the collection described in it one of the most important, next to those of Sowerby, Ure, Martin, and one or two others, to students not only of British, but equally so of Continental Carboniferous Palæontology. Unfortunately the descriptions of Prof. Phillips are so abbreviated and unsatisfactory, and the figures in many instances so mearge, that it is with great difficulty anything like an accurate determination of a species can be made by the aid of them. Under these circumstances the following notes made directly from the type specimens will probably be found of use; it would, however, be far more satisfactory to have the specimens refigured. For convenience sake I shall commence with those composing plate vi., and then take the others composing plate v.