*1821.] the Geology of the Malvern Hills, 19 



itbly fine-grained as to require the assistance of a glass to 

 discover that it is a granular rock, and it hes in narrow layers 

 running nearly parallel with the sides of the dyke, but which ara 

 traversed by crevices not quite at right angles, so as to divide 

 the layers into quadrangular masses, which, though haid, \\x^ 

 so small and brittle as scarcely to afford a surface of a square 

 inch from a blow by the hammer. This appeared to be the only 

 instance of a true dyke or vein among the rocks of the range. 



Pursuing the road from Great Malvern towards Ledbury, the 

 rocks on its side continue to present some, though less decided 

 marks of stratification, until the road turns nearly due west; and 

 just before it has attained the summit of the rise, a quarry 

 appears on the top of the hill on the right, perhaps 100 feet 

 above the road. This quarry is open to the south, and here 

 stratification is obvious from below. On ascending it, the 

 appearance is confirmed; stratification appears with nearly 

 the same dip, but with much greater regularity than is apparent 

 in the beds near tlie four-mile stone. The quarry is opened for 

 upwards of 100 feet in length, and 40 feet in height; and several 

 beds of the red felspar, which is the prevailing substance, may 

 be traced very little short of the whole length, many of them 

 upwards of 40 feet, dependent on the fall on the sides of the hill. 

 The beds of felspar are thinnest near the summit; and the inter- 

 stratified substances resemble those of the preceding instance, 

 with some exceptions. Some of the upper beds present inter- 

 stratifications of felspar, hornblende, and mica (?) and enclose 

 small masses of attractive iron ; others of slaty hornblende 

 mingled with quartz ; others again of felspar and hornblende^ 

 One stratum, above three inches in thickness, consisting wholly 

 of slaty hornblende greatly resembling mica, may be traced 

 for about 40 feet in length along nearly the middle of the 

 quarry. 



In the front of the quarry, and so detached as to allow.a 

 passage behind them, whence the rock had been taken away, 

 stood two enormous blocks, each not less than 20 feet m 

 height, and 10 feet in other directions, of slaty hornblende, of 

 which the schistose structure was parallel with the dip of the 

 regular beds, which the summits of these blocks still supported^ 

 The upper parts of these masses, where their structure was most 

 regular, contained thin layers of red felspar enclosing quartz; 

 these layers nearer the centre were less regular, and near the 



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