On the Occurrence of Edestus in the Coal-Measures of Britain

Abstract

The presence of marine beds in the Coal-Measures of North Staffordshire was first made known by Mr. J. Ward [1], of Longton, in 1865; but their occurrence in other districts had already been observed by the officers of the Geological Survey [2 & 3]. These marine bands are chiefly met with during the sinking of shafts; and Mr. J. T. Stobbs, F.G.S., of Stoke-on-Trent, has for some time past been studying those that occur in North Staffordshire. It is due to the vigilant observations of that gentleman, and to the assistance of the pupils of his mining class, that these beds are found to occur with much greater frequency than has hitherto been supposed. Mr. Stobbs very courteously called the attention of the Geological Survey to one of these marine bands, found at about 18 yards below the 'Twist Coal,' in the Smallthorne sinking of Messrs. Robert Heath & Son's pits at Nettlebank (North Staffordshire). An interesting series of fossils has been found in the shales and impure limestones brought to bank from this particular band ; and with the permission of the colliery-owners, the fossil-collector of the Geological Survey, Mr. J. Pringle, went to Smallthorne to secure a series of these fossils. Among the specimens thus obtained, there is one which calls for special notice, as it establishes for the first time the occurrence in Britain of the remarkable genus of fishes known as Edestus . This genus was originally described from the Coal-Measures of the United States, but was