AND SOME OF ITS EFFECTS. 259 
the cause of submerged forests on the Lancashire and Cheshire 
coasts. He, however, confined himself to this particular area. 
He does not appear to have suspected the widespread action of 
subterranean erosion, such as I have indicated. He connects 
the phenomena with the action of the sea, and overlooks the 
much wider action of subterranean erosion inland, as for 
example exhibited in fig. 1 -_-18 miles from the sea, and 100 
feet above O.D., caused by the underground drainage into 
brooks, which tap the quicksands in the Glacial Drift as they 
cut their channels deeper and deeper. The section given at 
fig. 1 might, in the drift covered areas of Lancashire and 
Cheshire alone, be repeated hundreds of times. 
As the question of subterranean erosion is attracting attention, 
it is desirable to republish 7 ex/fenso the abstract of the late 
Mr. John Cunningham's paper on “The Submarine Forest, 
Leasowe,” in “‘The Report of the British Association for 1854.” 
It will also enable any student of the subject to see how far 
Mr. Cunningham had anticipated me.* 
“On THE SUBMARINE FOREST, LEASOWE. 
By JoHN CUNNINGHAM, F.G.S. 
A section of the strata of the alluvium to the depth of 56 feet 
was exhibited in the following descending order, viz. :— 
First boring on the Marsh. 
Surface. 
2 ft 
Sand. 
4 ft. 
2 ft. 
| Peat in which the trunks of trees are imbedded. 
Stiff blue clay in which the trees grew. 
Red clay intermixed with ‘turf at top, below with blue veins and 
sand veins. 
——— 8 fet. 
ft 16 ft. 
af | Quicksand penetrated to the depth of 4 feet only. 
Second boring about 8 feet under the surface level of the Marsh outside of 
the base of embankment. 
————— 
Red clay mixed with blue veins and sand. 
2 | Brown clay with sand beds from 2 to 3 inches thick, and from 5 to 7 feet 
i apart. 
* See also LyELL, C. Principles of Geology, ed. 2; vol. i., p. 3103 VOl. ily P- 275+ 
