Geological Society, 317- 



lower new red of the North of England, which Professor Sedgwick 

 has shown to be the equivalent of the rothe todte liegende of German 

 geologists. Such relations are seen in the eastern parts of the 

 Lickey Hills, on the southern and eastern face of the coal-field of 

 Coalbrook-dale, and in parts of the Shrewsbury coal-field. 



At Cantern bank near Bridgnorth and along a part of the bed 

 of the Severn, these strata dip away conformably from the under- 

 lying coal-measures. Similar relations are seen at Wellbatch near 

 Shrewsbury, and still better at Coedway near Alberbury, where 

 the red sandstones and shales graduate upwards into the dolomitic 

 conglomerate, and downwards into coal-bearing strata. On the 

 whole this subformation, containing sandstone, shale, and grits, 

 has in some parts much the external appearance of the old red 

 sandstone, and in others of the coal-measures, and impressions 

 of plants have been found in it near Lilleshall and at Wellbatch. 

 As coal has been extracted in many parts of the North of England 

 from beneath sandstone of this age, the author speculates on the 

 probability of similar success attending "well-regulated enterprises 

 in Salop, Stafford, and Worcester. He alludes to a great sinking 

 now going on between the edge of the Dudley coal-field and Bir- 

 mingham, the shafts of which he believes are passing through strata 

 of this age. 



The author has defined the whole of the base line of the new red 

 sandstone from May Hill in Gloucestershire to the Oswestry coal- 

 field, and has made some changes in its direction, particularly in 

 the country between Newent and the Malvern Hills, and between 

 Kidderminster and Bridgnorth. He further describes the occur- 

 rence of several conglomerates along this base line, the most notable 

 of which are Haffield Camp near Ledbury, Rosemary Rock near 

 Knightwfck bridge on the eastern flanks of the Abberley Hills, 

 and on the sides of Stagbury and Warshill Hills near Bewdley. 

 These conglomerates, resembling that of Heavitrec in Devonshire, 

 are subordinate to red sandstone, and the fragments of trap which 

 they contain have been derived from hills in their immediate vicinity. 

 Felspathic trap rocks of this character have been formerly described 

 in the Malvern and Abberley Hills, and similar rocks have this year 

 been discovered by the author in Stagbury and Warshill Hills 

 resembling in composition the rocks of the Clent and Abberley 

 Hills. The conglomerates, however, which rest upon their flanks, 

 include fragments of quartz, greywacke, old red sandstone, &c. 

 Though occupying the base line of the series of new red sandstone, 

 the author does not pledge himself that the conglomerates of 

 these districts are the precise equivalents of the lower red sand- 

 stones which overlie and pass down into the coal-measures of 

 Shropshire, for he shows that in the south of Worcestershire and in 

 Gloucestershire there is not a sufficient expansion of the system to 

 admit of such proofs. He is, however, disposed to think that the red 

 sandstone which overlies the small patches of coal at Newent, may 

 prove to be the representative of the lower new red. At two or 

 three places on the eastern slopes of the Malvern Hills the conglo- 



