Stratification of the Limestone District of Derbyshire. 127 



It would be useless for me to dwell upon other points in 

 which Farey has fallen into errors exactly similar to those I 

 have already pointed out, and from the same cause — a total 

 neglect of the great distinction between a partial and a com- 

 plete basset. Those of which I have more particularly spoken 

 in the vicinity of the Wye are manifestly of the former, in- 

 stead of being, as he has represented them, of the latter class; 

 and hence we have the important conclusion that the basset 

 immediately to the west of them, from Copt Hill to Chilmerton, 

 must belong to the same and highest bed, instead of being the 

 third, as Farey has represented. I have no doubt too of this 

 basset being only a partial one, terminating shortly after 

 crossing the Ashborne and Buxton road, to the south of Chil- 

 merton. Hence, again, I conclude that the limestone west of 

 this line of basset is theirs* limestone, instead of being the 

 fourth, according to Farey's notions. The toadstone ranging 

 N. and S. between Dove Hole and the Wye, about two miles 

 E. of Buxton, must, again, be the highest, and the limestone on 

 the surface at this western boundary of the district must have 

 been of contemporaneous formation with that on the eastern 

 side, and passes (in this north-western portion of the boundary 

 which I have more particularly examined) under the shale and 

 grit hills with a gentle dip to the west. 



Here, then, Farey and myself are completely at issue re- 

 specting that portion of what he calls the great limestone fault 

 which ranges, according to his account, along this western 

 boundary of the district, and which, on his supposition of the 

 fourth limestone occupying the surface, must necessarily be 

 estimated at nearly 2000 feet, not merely in particular places, 

 but along every part of its range. Now though I have not 

 yet examined the whole of this boundary with the attention 

 which I hope shortly to devote to it, I have examined a con- 

 siderable portion of it north of Buxton, and I can only observe 

 (as I have already observed respecting some other statements 

 of Farey's,) that I am totally at a loss to conceive on w T hat 

 evidence his assertions respecting this fault can rest. That 

 partial faults exist along this boundary as in other parts of 

 the district, I doubt not ; but I will venture to assert that no 

 evidence can be found of any such continuous fault as that 

 contended for; and I confess that it appears to me most mar- 

 vellous that Farey should have persisted in a theory which 

 involved as a necessary consequence the existence of this enor- 

 mous fault, in opposition, as I believe, to all the direct evi- 



detailed examination has convinced me that if there be two toadstones 

 here, it is the second. 



