96 Mr Ainsworth on the Physical Geography 



apparently east and west. On the eastern side, the new red conglomerate * 

 makes its appearance, covering the sides of the Worcestershire Beacon. The 

 occurrence of this formation implies either a breaking and elevation of its 

 strata, by causes similar to those to which perhaps the Malvern Hills owe 

 their existence, or the deposition of the sandstone subsequent to the hills, a 

 supposition implying a stratification of the last-mentioned rock nearly paral- 

 lel to the acclivity of the hill, or in a more or less concave form filling up its 

 base, neither of which last mentioned appearances are presented by this rock ; 

 and, in the second place, implying an elevation of the formation, which, ac- 

 cording to Werner, in common with aU floetz rocks, is at once chemically and 

 mechanically deposited, little supported by the confined limits of the forma- 

 tion. 



To the north-west low hills of limestone are found running nearly parallel 

 with the portion of the range which they face. The rock interposed between 

 them and the granite is old red sandstone, and in their organic remains and 

 texture they bear too remarkable an analogy with the hills of the same for- 

 mation which crop out, bounding at intervals the red marl across the whole 

 of England, not to be referred to the same formation which at Caleford is as- 

 sociated with the old red sandstone, and with greywacke at Chepstow and 

 Monmouth. 



The mechanical analysis of the rocks forming these two hills, indicates 

 that both are mountain-masses of granite, presenting, however, great variety 

 of texture, and appearances, with difficulty associated by the geognost. The 

 granite is generally speaking close-grained, containing both mica and horn- 

 blende, the latter, however, often entirely wanting ; highly crystalline gra- 

 nite, with little mica and no hornblende, becoming as much a part of the 

 mountain-mass as that formation. It occurs principally en filons, which is 

 particularly remarkable at the pass through which the Whyche road is cut. If, 

 with Jameson, we consider strata as similar contiguous masses, and beds as dis- 

 similar, these filons will come under the latter denomination, and so we may 

 avoid exciting prejudices by adverting to the stratification of granitic rocks. 

 In these beds felspar is the most abundant constituent, — not, however, oc- 

 curring in prisms, disseminated through a quartzose basis, but rather itself 

 forming a basis for imperfectly crystallized quartz, with now and then partial 

 scales of mica. On the Worcestershire Beacon, a vein of quartz, of a few 

 feet in breadth, occurs traversing the rock in a nearly vertical direction. On 

 the southern part of the hill, a hole has been dug, with a view of obtaining for 

 strangers visiting these hills specimens of mica, which, from their highly me- 

 talline lustre, have been called gold -j-. This is a bed traversing the granite 



• This formation, the variegated sandstone (Bunter sandstein) of Werner, has not unaptly 

 been called by the English geologists Red Marl, as, whenever I have applied acids, the application 

 has been accompanied with effervescence. Though, as its name imports, its general colour is red, 

 yet it almost everywhere, where large sections are presented to the eye, exhibits streaks of a more 

 compact sandstone, of a light blue or cream colour. 



t The decomposition of granite first commences from a chemical change taking place in the 

 iron, which, in however smaU quantities, is yet universally distributed through the mineral king- 

 dom. The water aud extraneous moisture gaining access to it, converts it to a state of hydrate and 

 peroxide, increasing its bulk, and thus destroying its amalgamating effect on the rock, and, at the 



4 



