Some Fish Remains found in the Yorkshire Millstone Grits

Abstract

On January 27th, 1874, Mr. John Aitken, of Bacup, read before the Manchester Geological Society a paper on some fossil fish-remains he had found in the Millstone Grit series at Wadsworth Moor, near Hebden Bridge. They were found during the execution of the works carried on by the Halifax Corporation for conveying water from Widdup valley to that town by a tunnel excavated through Wadsworth Moor in the direction W. and E., and at a depth of 384 feet from the surface. At this horizon a bed of fine black laminated shale was encountered, having all the appearances and characters of a true Coal Measure shale. On splitting this shale the surfaces revealed the presence of multitudes of fossils, some being very perfect, others fragmentary, Goniatites and Aviculo-pectens prevailing. The shale also contained a number of nodular concretions, and from these the largest number of the fish-remains were obtained, a few others being found in the shale itself. [*][1]Section showing the exact position occupied by the fossiliferous shale. | No. I. Grit.—Rough Rock | | | … | … | … | 100 feet | || | Shales | | … | … | … | … | 300 feet | | No. II. Grit.—Grey Grits of Rocking stones | | | | | … | 80 feet | | Shales | | … | … | … | … | 350 feet | | No. III. Grit or Galliard rock with Coal strata | | | | | | 100 feet. | | Blue Shales (fish in thin shales 200 feet from the top) | | | | | | 450 feet. | | No. IV. Grit—Pebbly Grits | | | … | … | … | 120 feet. | | Yoredale strata | … | … | … | … | … | | On November 14th, 1896, Prof. P. … [1]: #fn-1