70 



The system in England is divided into two divisions, the uppermost 

 the keuper, "variegated red marl," being the repository of rock- 

 salt and gypsum ; the lower, the bunter-sandstone, I eing an extensive 

 series of " variegated red sandstones." 



In Germany the system is divided into three divisions : — keuper, 

 rauschelkalk, bunter-sandstein ; and each of these have been recog- 

 nized in France. 



The German terms, used to distinguish the upper and lower 

 divisions, have been adopted in our English nomenclature ; but 

 the central group — the muschelkalk — is altogether absent in Great 

 Britain. The new red sandstone rests upon the pennian system, 

 which iisually separates it from the coal measures, but in some parts of 

 the country it is absent, the new red sandstone lying uucomformably 

 upon the coal strata. The system is perhaps more developed in 

 Cheshire than elsewhere ; it is represented in the vertical section, the 

 sub-divisions being delineated. See vertical section. 



It is only very recently that any attention has been paid to the sub- 

 divisions, especially those of the hunter fonuation. We are principally 

 indebted to Edward Hull, Esq., F.G.S., of the Geological Survey of 

 Great Britain, for bringing tlie subject before the attention of geologists, 

 and thereby causing them to be coloured upon the maps of the survey 

 (quarter sheets 79 N.E. and 70 S.E.) I must not omit this oppor- 

 tunity of acknowledging how much I am indebted to that gentleman 

 for the very liberal maimer in which he has aided me in investigating 

 this subject. 



The sub-divisions of the new red sandstone possess such distinctive 

 mineral characters as wiU identify them over the whole of the area 

 occupied by that formation ; each of them are developed in this dis- 

 trict, and are crossed by the line of horizontal section. Of those of 

 the keuper, the red marl is about 100 feet in thickness, the- base 

 only being present. The waterstones, the base of the keuper, 350 

 feet. The sub-divisions of the hunter sandstone are aU present entire, 

 and have furnished the depths laid down in the vertical section. 



400 feet upper soft red and variegated sandstone. 



300 ,, coarse red sandstone and conglomerate. 



400 „ lower soft red and variegated sandstone, 

 giving 1100 feet, and a total of 1-550 feet as the thickness of the new 

 red sandstone system in this neighbourhood. This is the approximate 

 result ascertained by following the dip of the strata over measured 

 sections : it is liable to some slight error or uncertainty on account of 

 minor faults and bendings of the strata, but upon the whole may be 

 considered verv near correct. 



