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ON THE GEOLOGY OF THE COAL FIELDS. 



In the neighbourhood of Beaufort, Monmouthshire, by G. P. Bevan, Esq., M.D., 

 F.G.S. Read at the Annual Meeting of the Woolhope Naturalists' 

 Field Club, Hereford, January 19th, 1857. 



Gentlemen, — At the Autumn Meeting of the Members of the Woolhope Club, 

 held at Abergavenny, on October 14th, I was requested to draw up a slight sketch 

 of the proceedings of the day, and of the country through which our day's excur- 

 sion extended. I have felt very diffident about writing this report, feeling that 

 the Geology of the district would have been much fuller and more scientifically 

 described by many of our members, and my sole reason for agreeing to do so has 

 been that as regards the locale and physical features, I am perhaps better acquain- 

 ted with the neighbourhood than any other member of the Club. I ought to 

 be so, for during the six years that I have resided in Beaufort I have spent nearly 

 three in endeavouring, as far as my other duties would allow time, to become 

 acquainted with the many geological curiosities of this highly interesting district ; 

 a district — with the exception by a friend who has lately left, and myself — 

 almost unworked and unknown, and yet so prolific in all its fossil flora and 

 fauna, as to rival the most celebrated localities ; and I assure you that I felt no 

 ordinary pleasure in being the means of introducing our Club to a maiden country, 

 and which, I trust, will induce many — especially those who live nearest — to 

 assist in its geological development. 



Before I commence our day's excursion, I must throw myself on the in- 

 dulgence of the Club, to excuse my errors of geology, my knowledge of which, 

 were it not for the reasons I have before stated, would not be an excuse for my 

 writing a paper on it. 



Our meet then, was at Abergavenny, situate in the heart of the Old Red 

 Sandstone, and commanding the most lovely views up and down the Vale of Usk. 

 Although a place which makes the heart of the sketcher glad ,1 fear it will not 

 reward the fossil collector for a long day's work ; the sole fossils fomid there 

 having been a couple of fishes, viz., the ctenacanthus ornatus and the ptycacan- 

 thus dubius. As to the precise spot where these were found, they are both 

 " dubius " to me, but I doubt not that Abergavenny will yield as many fishes 

 as Herefordshire, when they are searched for. Looking up the Vale of Usk to- 

 wards Crickhowell, we see on the right the Old Red groups of the Sugar Loaf and 

 the Daren. Ou this last, Sir R. Murchison found a portion of the Holoptychius 

 nobilissimus. I have often looked for another, but the deeply peroxidised 

 stones never disclosed anything to my gaze. On the left we see a very different 

 system, viz., the escarpment of the Mountain Limestone, the great northern belt 

 of the South Wales Coal field. At the furthest end of the valley, although only 

 visible from the hills around, we see the Brecon Beacons, the highest of the Old 

 Red range, attaining an altitude of 2682 feet."" Owing to the small angle of dip, 



* In the New Series Ordnance Map, Sheet 213, Pen-y-fan is given 2907 feet, and Corn- 

 ddu 2863 feet. — Editor. 



