42 , Geological Discoveries at Billesdon Coplaw, 



compromised admission of the undisturbed order of super- 

 position of the British series of strata) the conclusion that 

 coal may be reached and worked to advantage from the sur- 

 face of the lias, and even oolitic, ranges of this kingdom. But 

 however powerfully and clearly the inferences drawn from the 

 general laws of an established science may tend to justify 

 such a decision, the prudential calculator and nice observer of 

 nature's laws would certainly not feel himself justified in the 

 adoption of expensive practical experiments to prove the real 

 existence of an object which natural deductions, derived from 

 theoretical principles, had shown to be probable. " No;" he 

 would naturally enough say, " I must first be convinced, by 

 indubitable evidence, of the real merits and stability of this 

 grand and orderly structure which the inductive spirit of 

 modern geology has called into being; and even then, before 

 I proceed to act upon principles of so general and comprehen- 

 sive a character, I shall require a mass of actual evidence (of 

 a local nature) perfectly analogous to those infallible criteria 

 which are known to direct and reward the researches of the 

 practical geologist and mineral explorer." Such, I confess, 

 were the sentiments which dictated my examination for coal 

 strata in this hitherto untried district. 



I will now proceed to consider whether or not the disco- 

 veries already made are calculated to affect or confuse the 

 order of superposition of the British series of strata, so sys- 

 tematically arranged by modern science, and also endeavour to 

 demonstrate the presence of valuable coal strata in this dis- 

 trict, by existing evidence, of such an incontrovertible nature 

 as, I flatter myself, cannot fail to remove the prejudices of the 

 most determined sceptic. 



The marks of identity by which the respective formations 

 are distinguished, and their geographical extent ascertained, 

 are, as I have before observed, the fossil exuviae they indi- 

 vidually contain. Such being the case, I would ask the 

 founders of the existing system to account, by reasonable in- 

 ferences, for the assemblage here of the Cirrus acutus of the 

 mountain limestone ; the Pecten fibrosus of the under oolite ; 

 the Trigonia costata of the upper ; the Mytilbides labiatus, 

 from the chalk and superior strata ; with madrepores, muscles, 

 corals, and oysters from the coal formation, found, apparently, 

 not in the diluvium or adventitious deposits, but in the regular 

 strata, constituting a part and portion of the ponderous form- 

 ation denominated lias ? 



In relation to this question, I shall here introduce an extract 

 from the Rev. Mr. Scutcliffe's Geology of the Avon (p. 24.): — 

 " With regard to organic remains, the marble, often alternating 



