50 



locally termed " grays," the shales, however, predominating- 

 The only exception to this is in the case of the strata 

 separating the Top Little vein from the Middle vein, which is 

 entirely made up of a hard gritty sandstone, strongly 

 resembling the coarser descriptions of pennant. 



The Red Ground, to which I have already referred, is 

 a remarkable feature in the upper division. I am not aware 

 whether these beds are known in the upper end of the basin, 

 but they have been met with in every sinking from the first 

 to the second series in the Radstock district, and they have 

 become a universally recognised landmark. In texture they 

 differ in no degree from ordinary shale, but they are distin- 

 guished by their colour from the strata both above and 

 beneath them. They are as highly coloured as Hematite, 

 which in some respects they rather resemble. They are 

 sti'ongly impregnated with iron, from which they no doubt 

 derive their colouring matter ; but they do not contain a 

 sufficiently high per centage to be of any commercial 

 value. 



The Second Series, as proved at Farringdon pit, consists of 

 six veins, omitting one or two of a few inches, which need not 

 be taken into account. The following are their names and 

 thicknesses : — 



Cathead Vein, in 3 pieces 

 Top Seam, in 2 ditto 

 Peaw, or Peacock, in 3 ditto 

 Middle Seam, in 2 ditto ... 

 Church Close Seam, in 2 ditto 

 Seventeen inch Seam 



Total 



