25 GEOLOGICAL NOTES—BURTON-ON-TRENT. 
the road, extending a little higher on the left-hand side. The road has 
been cut through this rock as far as the Fault, and then is laid upon 
the bed, and follows its natural slope to the outcrop at the crown of the 
hill. See illustration, page 24, taken from photograph by Mr.§. P. J. 
Lavell. This Fault is a downward drop to the South East of about 
3 feet 9 inches only. 
This hard bed of Sandstone is remarkable on account of its 
containing cavities more or less filled with black bituminous sand of 
a very peculiar nature. This fact was first brought to the notice of 
our Society by Mr, H. T. Ford in 1877. 
The origin of this bituminous matter isa difficult problem, but 
its action on the superincumbent beds is most obvious and interesting, 
Owing no doubt to heat, probably due to chemical changes, the bitu- 
minous matter has partly volatilized and acting on the Oxides of Iron 
in the Red marl, has reduced. them to lower oxides, hydrates, &e., so 
that the original red colour of the marl has been entirely changed to 
a pale greyish white colour, tinged with green and yellow in some 
places. Before the wall was built this change was very noticeable, 
as above Mr. Tomlinson’s pathway there was an entire absence of 
RED marl, whilst below the pathway red was the dominant colour as 
elsewhere in these beds, though interstratified with greenish and 
yellowish bands. 
No doubt this change in colour gave rise to the idea that Mr. 
Tomlinson’s pathway was on the line of a fault. Careful examin- 
ation proved a marked continuity of stratification wita here and 
there very sudden alterations in the colour. The hard, rocky band 
outcrops at the top of the hill and there is some evidence of a second 
fault but not very conclusive. 
A good example of a miniature Fault may be seen in the Recrea- 
tion Grounds, at the back of the arbour, on the lower walk, near the 
Band corner. The drop is only a few inches but quite distinct. 
‘Another small Fault may be seen in the brick-field on Waterloo 
Mount, 
