8 MEMOIR OF THE 



is^ seldom schistose like the lias, but breaks into fragments in all 

 directions. Wherever circumstances admit of a close examina- 

 tion of the union of this formation with the last, the transition 

 appears quite sudden and well defined, but without any marks 

 of violent action. The New Red Sandstone is quite conformable 

 with the lias, and in the case of the fault before described, the 

 disturbing force has affected both formations alike. 



The upper part of the New Red Sandstone in Britain has in no 

 instance, I believe, supplied the geologist with fossils, and its 

 list of mineral contents is very scanty. The only mineral con- 

 tained in the Red Marl of this district is gypsum, which occurs 

 sparingly near Cracombe and at Hasler, but is rare, I believe, in 

 other parts of the county. Of the salt which at Droitwich and 

 Stoke Prior forms a never failing source of prosperity, no traces 

 exist in these upper strata. 



At Inkberrow, the extensive fault before mentioned brings to 

 the surface the sandstone beds, which in most parts of England 

 underlie the Red Marl. These beds are there quarried for a 

 variety of uses. Their position with respect to the Lias is seen 

 in Section TI. 



The vast thickness of the New Red Sandstone formation is 

 proved by the shaft sunk in 1804, by Mrs. Brown, of Hasler, in 

 quest of coal. The following is the best account of the strata 

 that can now be procured, and geologists may regret that a more 

 exact account was not kept of so deep and interesting an 

 excavation. 



Feet. Inches. 



Lias beds, about 75 (At 51 feet, a strong spring.) 



Red marl, about 282 



Gypsum 1 



Grey and red strata 47 



Black strata 15 



Redand whit© beds with gypsum. 387 9 (At 582 feet, a thin vein of coal.) 



Total 807 9 



Having now traced the strata of the Vale of Evesham in suc- 

 cession, as far as that district is considered to extend, the in- 

 vestigation of the rest of the county is left to others. It only 

 remains to give, by way of an appendix, a sketch of what are 

 commonly called diluvial deposits, as far as these occur in our 

 district. 



The deposits of gravel, sand, and clay, which in most parts of 

 the world lie in irregular patches upon older rocks, have been by 

 many geologists referred to the Mosaic deluge. But recent 

 observations seem to shew that these deposits have not all been 

 simultaneous, and that granting some of them to originate in 

 the Mosaic deluge, others have been caused by irruptions ante- 

 cedent to that period. Be this as it may, there is nothing, I 

 think, in our district to prove that the diluvial beds, which are 

 there very abundant, are not the result of the Mosaic deluge 

 alone. 



