69 



Green. Near Roby the ground rises again; this elevation terminates 

 near Huyton, which is situated upon another slight eminence. Between 

 the latter and Huyton Quarry the land is rather depressed, the flaggy 

 sandstone of the coal strata is then elevated about fifty feet ; half a 

 mile to the east, where the section ends, the railway is carried over an 

 embankment. 



Superficial Accumulations. 

 The summits of the hills in this disti'ict are unusually barely covered 

 by a vegetable mould, the rock projecting through it in many instances. 

 In all the valleys and depressions there are deposits of sands, clays, 

 Ac, in some cases attaining a thickness of 90 or 100 feet. The super- 

 ficial accumulations may be conveniently divided into four groups, 

 referable to as many different periods of formation ; if they were all 

 present in any one section they would be presented in the following 

 order : — 



The uppermost, « 



1. Sands, clays, and gravels of marine origin, containing 

 remains of existing local species, human art, &c. 

 Locality — Mouths of the Dee and Mersey, and north 

 of Wirral, where there is a submarine forest. 

 9. Boulder clay or northern drift, containing bones and 

 recent shells, the lower half full of boulders. 

 Locality — Throughout the neighbourhood. 



3. Pleistocene, sands, and gravels, containing recent 

 shells. 



Locality — Seacombe, Egremont, (fcci- 



4. Red and yellow sand, &c., being the washings of the 

 new red sandstone. No organic remains. 



Locality — Huyton, east of Liverpool, &c. 



New Red Sandstone. 

 Under these deposits of debris, throughout this neighbourhood, there 

 is a distinctly developed series of sandstones and marls, upwards of 

 1000 feet thick, that from their super-position, mineralogical compo- 

 sition, and the faint traces of life embedded in them, have long ago 

 been referred to the Trias or new red sandstone of English geologists. 

 It forms the base of the mesozoic or secondary period ; the materials' 

 that compose it were accumulated immediately after those great clianges 

 liad been ellected which marked the close of tlie palccozoic pei'iod. 



• Underlying the boiiUlfir clay upon the shore, it yields lo the aclinn of the water luul 

 is (Miisiiig a (earful waste of the coast between these places. 

 1< 



