Notes on the Polyzoa of the Wenlock Shales, Wenlock Limestone, and Shales over Wenlock Limestone. From material supplied by G. Maw, Esq., F.L.S., F.G.S.

Abstract

The organisms found in the Wenlock Shales of Shropshire have been already alluded to by Mr. Maw and by Mr. Davidson in their joint paper in the ‘Geological Magazine’ for the year 1881. The remarks of these authors bore chiefly upon the Brachiopoda found in the shales; but the other organisms were casually alluded to in passing. Since this joint paper was written, I have had an opportunity of working over nearly one hundredweight and a half of the débris, and this, in all probability, may represent from six to eight tons of the unwashed clay. My object in searching was principally to pick out the Polyzoa and the smaller Actinozoa of the débris; but in doing this I felt very reluctant to pass over organisms which belonged to other than these two classes; consequently, to some extent, my collection consists of specimens illustrative of the Actinozoa, Echinodermata, Annelida, Crustacea, and Brachiopoda, as well as the Polyzoa of the shales. It is not my intention in the present paper to commit myself to remarks on the genera belonging to these classes otherwise than by presenting a Table of the whole series of associated fossils. This Table is divided into twelve columns, eleven of which are allotted to the several localities from which Mr. Maw supplied me with material; the other column affords me the opportunity of completing the range of species by recording their presence in the Wenlock Limestone.