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VI. — Notes on the Drift Deposits found near Blackpool. 

 By E. W. BiNNEY. 



[Read February 24(h, 1852.] 



In a communication to the Manchester Geological Society* 

 made by the author in 1842, and printed by that society in 

 its annual Report, a general description of the Lancashire 

 and Cheshire drift deposits was given. It was there stated 

 that few organic remains had been found in the deposits lying 

 east of a line drawn from Preston to Congleton. In another 

 paper printed in vol. viii. (new series) of this Society's 

 Transactions, p. 204, he describes the drift found in and 

 near Manchester at some length ; but he makes no mention 

 of the occurrence of fossil shells, none in fact having been 

 met with by him in the beds alluded to. This diiFerence in 

 the distribution of organic remains in the drift is a subject 

 well worthy of attention. It does not appear to be owing to 

 the mechanical characters of the deposit ; for while no shells 

 have been met with in the sands and fine gravels of Kersal 

 Moor, near Manchester, similar deposits at Bowdon afford 

 them in considerable abundance. The till of Manchester, so 

 far as it has at present been examined, is also destitute of 

 fossil shells, while the same deposit in most places west of a 

 line drawn from Preston to Runcorn yields them more or 

 less. 



We should scarcely expect to find delicate and fragile 

 shells in a coarse gravel. If the mechanical characters of the 

 deposits would account for the difference in preservation of 

 the organic remains, the matter would be comparatively easy; 



• Report of the Manchester Geological Society for 1843, p. 15. 



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