Type belemnites of Simpson's Fossils of the Yorkshire Lias

Martin Simpson was curator of the Whitby Museum in the mid- to late-19th century and was influential in systematically collecting and describing the fossils of the North Yorkshire Lower Jurassic (Lias), exposed in mostly excellent coastal sections still accessible today. His species were published in a range of publications between 1843-1884, but, although well described and located, they were not illustrated. The ammonites have subsequently been illustrated, but no comprehensive work illustrating the belemnites has been published. This is a serious omission and the type specimens of 74 of Simpson's nominal species, from the Lower, Middle and Upper Lias (Sinemurian-Toarcian) are illustrated and discussed here from the originals held in the Whitby Museum.