In the maps of the Geological Survey, Quarter-sheet No. 52, S.W. (Bedford), published in 1863, Upper Lias Clay is shown as bordering the Ouse Valley between Stoke Goldington and Olney, directly overlaid by the Great Oolite, that is to say, the maps indicate an entire absence of the Inferior Oolite (Northampton Sand).

The conspicuous relations of the brachiopod fauna of these heds to that of the Lower Devonian in South America have frequently been pointed out, and may be summarised as follows:—

(1) In the Falkland Islands the following South African species are found (12):—

The recent development of mining in the central area of the Ballycastle Coalfield in Co. Antrim has given rise to several articles in the daily Press, and it seems worth while to point out that the occurrence of coal-seams in the interior of the field was long ago proved by borings (see Geological Survey Memoir to Sheets 7 and 8, Ireland, published in 1888); while Mr. Symes's longitudinal section, Sheet 30, published by the Geological Survey of the United Kingdom in 1890, indicated faithfully the geological conditions. The possibility of farther development is also mentioned in “Ireland, Industrial and Agricultural,” published by the Department of Agriculture for Ireland in 1901.

The counties of Warwick and Worcester have yielded the majority of Keuper fossils recorded from England. The history of their discovery commenced about seventy years ago with a paper by Murchison and Strickland, where there is a description of the area. They distinguished two divisions, the lower of which they identified as Bunter, chiefly on the evidence of a plant, Echinostdchys oblovgus, Brongn. This division was found to be, for the most part, composed of sandstones, and contained in Worcestershire plant remains and in Warwickshire bones and teeth. The localities where fossils were found were Ombersley, Hadley, Elmley Lovett, all on the west side of the Droitwich basin, Bromsgrove on the east of it, and in the Warwick district.

In a recent important article in the “Records of the Albany Museum, South Africa,” vol. i, No. vi (1906), pp. 347–404, pls. vi–x, Professor Schwarz describes some interesting fresh material from the Bokkeveld Beds, and is able to add several new species to the steadily growing list. Incidentally he is led to criticise some previous work done by me on the Brachiopoda and Mollusca from the same beds. Whilst I welcome the new light he is able to throw on several of the obscure fossils with which I had to deal, I must demur to some of his conclusions, cspecially in the case of the Brachiopoda; and accordingly, as my opinion on his paper has been specially asked by other workers on this fauna, a few remarks appear to be requisite. It must not be forgotten that the specimens in all cases are poor and unsatisfactory, but Professor Schwarz has had the advantage over me of more abundant material.