246 Mr. J. Phillips's Remarks oh the Geology 



strata which has produced here and there escarpments looking 

 toward the formations which cover their continuous slopes. 

 This principle will, I am satisfied, be admitted by all who care- 

 fully consider the facts ; and it avoids the impropriety of sup- 

 posing a dislocation without evidence. According as the de- 

 nudation has extended more or less toward the "rise" of the 

 strata, more or fewer beds of the oolitic series are exposed : 

 where the denudation has produced the greatest effect, the 

 lowest stratum exposed is Oxford clay. 



A similar escarpment is found on the Rievaulx road from 

 Helmsley as on the Oswaldkirk road; but long slopes of co- 

 ralline oolite and brown sandstone over it cross the road to 

 Bladlam. Hence to the valley of Kirkdale the same brown 

 stone lies on all the higher parts of the road, and in a soft con- 

 dition covers the oolite in the quarry at the famous cave. A 

 mean of three measures very carefully made in 1824, gave me 

 thirty-one feet for the height of the cave above the bed of the 

 stream. (The statement of eighty feet in Dr. Buckland's ac- 

 count is probably a typographical error.) Nearly fifty feet of 

 oolite are here exposed, and there are about twenty feet of 

 sand and sandstone above. The brown stone continues be- 

 low Manor-dale to Kirby Moorside, where it is covered by 

 Kimmeridge clay. 



In the stream which flows through the heathy common on 

 the road from Kirby Moorside to Sinnington, geologists may 

 observe in a very satisfactory manner the relation of this sand- 

 stone to the coralline oolite. The road-bridge over the stream 

 stands on irregular sandstone layers, containing a few frag- 

 mented shells. Rising toward the north at a greater angle 

 than the slope of the valley, fresh beds are exposed in succes- 

 sion as we proceed, and at length below six feet of yellow sand 

 we find the uppermost very solid bed of oolite full of Turri- 

 tellce, Melanin, spines of Cidaris and Trigonia costata, as at 

 Helmsley. A few beds lower lies a coarse variety of Ostrea 

 gregaria ? (Min. Conch.) At about half a mile from the road 

 these observations may be repeated in the large limestone 

 quarries, where the remarkable turbiniferous bed covers the 

 other calcareous layers. Some Turritellce also occur in the 

 lower beds of the rock, which occupies the whole stream and 

 sides of the valley, being covered by the heathy cap of sand- 

 stones. In the bank of the stream at Sinnington these sand- 

 stone beds are again exposed dipping south, and afford some 

 fossils extremely similar to those which accompany the lower 

 calcareous grit; particularly ammonites and pectines. Be- 

 yond Sinnington, the road crosses a hill of Kimmeridge clay 

 one hundred and twelve feet above the stream; then descend- 

 ing 



