On the Occurrence of the Rhætic Beds in Leicestershire

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Abstract
G ood inland sections, exhibiting the junction of the Triassic and Liassic beds, are rather scarce in this country. I wish, therefore, to describe an exposure of the Rhætic beds near this town, which is of interest as proving the continuity of that formation and the remarkable persistence of lithological conditions in its strata; whilst the occurrence of some new species of fossils shows that our knowledge of the life of that period is, as yet, very incomplete. These Rhætic beds are to be seen in three brick-pits situated at the northern extremity of the Spinney Hills, a low range forming the eastern boundary of the town of Leicester and the Soar valley (fig. 2). The Rhætics form a capping to the hills at this northern end; but southwards, as the ridge rises, they are overlain by a thick covering of drift to the depth of at least 20 or 30 feet. Eastwards the upper members have been denuded by a little stream, the Willow Brook, although the lowest bed (the Grey Marl) is nearly, but not quite, continuous right across to Crown Hill, where Lower Lias beds (yellow fucoidal limestones) first put in an appearance (see fig. 2). The floor of the brick-pits just mentioned is about 10 feet deep in red Upper Keuper Marls. Descending sections in neighbouring pits and in the railway-cutting near the station show an alternation of Red, Grey, and Blue Marls to a depth of from 80 to 100 feet. It is noticeable that the

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