141 



first sight appear, but that they owe their origin to one and 

 the same great cause. 



The contortion to which I refer stretches along the northern 

 flank of the Mendips, and has been traced from the hamlet 

 of Nettlebridge on the west to the village of Mells on the 

 east, but whether it may ultimately be found to extend still 

 farther to the eastward we can at present only surmise. 



At Nettlebridge the strata have their natural inclination, 

 dipping from the Mendips at an angle of 35 degrees, but 

 becoming less highly inchned as they recede from the 

 influence of that anticlinal The section of strata at Old Eock 

 Collieries exhibited will explain better than mere verbal 

 description the state of affairs at this point, and it will be 

 seen that beyond the high angle of elevation there is nothing 

 unnatural in the position of the strata. But proceeding 

 eastward we find an amount of confusion and distortion which 

 hterally baffles description. It would be impossible to 

 construct a section which would give any tiling like a fair 

 representation of the disturbances which exist, and I have 

 abstained from attempting it ; but the series of small cross 

 sections exliibited, which are the work of an ingenious but 

 unfortunate local man, will throw some hght on the subject 

 It is only necessary I should warn you that while in each case 

 they correctly represent the prevaihng inchnations, and while 

 the appearance of regularity and continuity which they 

 exhibit in the New Eock series may be approximately correct, 

 they would give a very erroneous impression of the state of 

 things existing in the fourth or lowest series of the district. 



You will observe that on leaving the Old Eock (or present 

 Nettlebridge) Colhery, where, as I have already said, the strata 

 occupy their natural position, we pass on to Old Nettlebridge, 

 where they are very nearly vertical. This has been accom- 

 plished without any break in the beds. The strata gradually 

 become steeper as we proceed eastward, imtil at the point 



