232 TRANyACTIONS OF THE [MAR. 15, 



Ft. In. 



ftop coal 1 ft. 11 in. 1 



I clay " 5 " | 



n. Great 3Iine -j coal 3 " 6 " }■ 9 lOJ 



I clay " Ik " I 



[bottom coal. 4 " "J 

 Sandstone and shale, with shells 33 9 



19. Litfle Coal 2 3 



Sandstone and shale, -with fish remains 66 9 



20. J5Zacfc 3/me ( the best seam in the district) 4 2 



Shales, sometimes strong, -with two coal seams 117 6 



ftop coal ft. 11 in."] 



21. iS^one J/me. -i stone 1 " 2 " |- (roof "dark stone" ) 3 4 



L bottom coal. 1 " 3 "J 

 Soapstone (sandy shale), with a band of white rock 21 4 



22. Upper Bent Mine 2 2 



Hard soapstone, with ferns 29 8 



23. Loioer Bent Mine.. 2 8 



Strata 37 6 



24. HoUingworth Coal 1 6 



Strata 234 



26. Neddy Mine 2 6 



Strata, with several thin coals, about 441 



27. i?02//e2/ If ine (with a parting of shale) 4 



The two sections are practically continuous, the interval be- 

 tween the base of the Bardsley Colliery section and the Blenfire 

 rock of Glodwick being occupied b}' a series of shales and sand- 

 stones. 



The chief coal seams of the Oldham area are about ten in num- 

 ber. The most valuable and the one which has been most worked 

 is the Black Mine, averaging four feet in thickness. Another 

 seam of considerable importance is the " New Mine" of the Ash- 

 ton-under-Lyne district, which lies below the Black Mine and 

 about 100 yards above the Royley or Arley seam. It may be 

 equivalent to the Neddy Mine of Oldham or one of the thin seams 

 below it. 



The Lower Bent Mine or Peacock coal is of good qualit}' and 

 much used. 



The " Great Mine" of Oldham yields over eight feet of coal, 

 but at Ashton-under-Lyne it includes dirt bands.* 



Higher in the series than any given in Professor Hull's list are 

 the Great and Roger Mines of Ashton-under-Lyne and Dukin- 

 field. The former is six feet thick, the latter four feet and the 

 interval is but 32 yards. 



Still higher in the series and at some 400 to 500 yards above 

 the Great Mine is the Yard Mine of Moston, which is supposed 



. *It must not be forgotten that the Oldham Middle Coal Measures are flanked to the 

 north and east by ground in which coals of the Lower Series are extensively mined. 



