294 The Philoscypldcal Society ofGlasgoxo. 



The works producing this enormous quantity of iron are situated in 

 Lanarkshire and Ayrshire — the greater part in the Middle Ward of 

 Lanarkshire, in the neighbourhood of Coatbridge. 



The whole fields supplying the iron- works in both of these districts 

 are too extensive to be discussed in one paper. I shall therefore reserve 

 the Ayrshire field for another occasion, and at present give you only 

 the result of my examination of the fields lying eastwards of this city 

 as far as Bathgate ; north-east as far as Denny ; south-east as far as 

 Carluke ; and westward of the city as far as Maryhill on the north, and 

 Govan on the south ; aU as delineated on the accompanying map. 

 Keeping in view that the object of this paper is neither geological nor 

 mining instruction, but simply to show the result of my inquiry into 

 the quantity of minerals still available for the future supply of this 

 important district, I shall not enter upon the geological features of the 

 fields or strata in which these minerals lie, nor upon any details as to 

 the mode of working the same, but shall proceed to describe the several 

 workable seams of coal and ironstone, so far as known, and in the order 

 of their position, as shown in the accompanying general section. Of 

 course, I do not mean by this section to represent the actual depth of 

 the seams under the surface at any one place, biit simply their relative 

 position in the stratification of the whole field, were it possible at any 

 one place to find them all together. 



I will take first the uppermost seam, and, proceeding downwards, 

 will show the estimated quantity of each seam in the section, and 

 within the boundaries or area shown on the map, deducting, of course, 

 the quantities already worked out. 



Palace Ceaig Ironstone.— ^« 42 Fatlwins — Average thid-ness, 12 

 Inches. — This seam is the uppermost workable ironstone in the Lanark- 

 shire mineral field, and lies close to the bottom of the new red sand- 

 stone, and is worked at Palace Craig, Faskine, and Carnbroe. Its 

 position in the strata extends over a large district of country around 

 Glasgow and Hamilton ; but it is usually too poor in iron to be at 

 present profitably worked. At Souterhouse Colliery, near Coatbridge, 

 it contains about 15 per cent of ii'on. At Drumpeller, west from 

 Coatbridge, it is only a ferruginous shale, quite valueless. In the 

 district around Clyde Iron-works it is known as the mussel band, 

 where it is also valueless ; but although only partially worked, it is well 

 known in the district, and easily distinguishable in the strata by the 

 remains of ganoid fishes which it contains. 



In its most favourable state, its quahty is inferior, on account of the 

 large proportion of lime and sand contained in it ; and it can only be 

 used in the blast furnaces along with other ironstone of superior quality, 



