Of THE N0BTII-WE8T OP ENGLAND. 1 15 



have before stated, generally vary with the description of the 

 older rocks found in the immediate vicinity ; but such a lime- 

 stone as the porcelain-like one is at the present time no where 

 to be met with in the Black Burton coal-field. This rock would 

 most probably, as in the southern coal-fields of Lancashire, 

 be found in the upper part of the formation, but as this 

 portion of the strata has here been removed before the breccia 

 or conglomerate was formed, these interesting fragments afford 

 evidence of the former occurrence of a rock now no longer to 

 be met with in situ, and thus supply us with another proof of 

 the great denuding action which took place at the close of the 

 carboniferous epoch. 



Howrigg Section. 



In a geological map of the Lake Districts, published by 

 Mr. John Ruthven, of Kendal, in 1855, a small tract of what 

 he terms magnesian limestone is laid down. It is about two 

 miles in extent from east to west, and lies a little south of 

 Howrigg, near Wigton. In the month of October last I went 

 over to Howrigg, and although I did not meet with any true 

 permian magnesian limestone, certainly some of the mountain 

 limestones there found might very easily be mistaken for such 

 were it not for their fossil organic remains ; and these are by 

 no means abundant, or commonly to be met with. I, how- 

 ever, saw a small patch of permian breccia, and some fine- 

 grained sandstones of a brick-red colour, containing very 

 beautiful ripple marks, and, in their lower portions, desiccation 

 cracks, which very much reminded me of the permian sand- 

 stones found at the Craigs, near Dumfries. Like the la 

 some of the beds are so finely laminated as not only to be 

 used for flags, but also for slating houses. 



On approaching the district from Carlisle, I reached the 

 Curthwaite station, on the Maryport railway, but saw noil 



