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primitive I'ocks there are comparatively few. Tlie base is a yellow 

 sandstone reposing upon a band of arenaceous clay. The superincum- 

 bent beds are generally deeply tinged with per-oxide of iron, but in 

 many places it changes both horizontally and vertically into a light 

 brown or yellowish sandstone with quartz pebbles. The conglomerate 

 of Hilbre has not been identified in any other position ; it probably 

 belongs to the base of the sub-divisiou, but thins out to the east. A 

 fault (No. 1 in horizontal section) must of necessity exist in the bed 

 of the Dee, between the islands and the Cheshire shore, for the " lower 

 soft red and variegated sandstone" is thrown up and can be observed 

 in many sections about West Kirby. It consists of a very soft red 

 sandstone, so friable that it cannot be used as a building stone: 

 there are not any clay partings, but joints cross it in many 

 directions. Near the top of Beacon Hill it dips under the " coarse 

 red sandstone and conglomerate." Two faults (No. 2.) throw up the 

 strata to the east several yards. The latter rock covers the top of the 

 hill and continues for three-quarters of a mile. Rough, uneven, and 

 scarcely covered by the vegetable soil, several good sections present 

 themselves, the hard rock containing pebbles and small nodules of clay 

 is divided every few yards by bands of marl and light sandstone a few 

 inches thick, characters that serve to distinguish it throughout the line 

 of section. The strata decline at various angles from six to fifteen 

 degrees to the east, under the " upper soft red and variegated sand- 

 stone." This last sub-division is visible near the base of the hill, and 

 at Frankby it has been ascertained to dip eastwards. West of the 

 village of Greasby a fault (No. 3), with a north and south strike (a 

 direction applicable to all the dislocations intersecting the section), 

 throws down the " keuper " about 350 feet. The waterstones, on which 

 tile village is buUt, dips under the red marl at five degrees east. A 

 little further a fault (No. 4) brings up the " waterstones," and again at 

 Upton a dislocation (fault No. 5) with the same result is repeated, the 

 "red marl" then continues to the Fender, a stream near the village of 

 Ford, when it is faulted against the " upper soft red and variegated 

 sandstone" (No. 6). The "red marl" extends over near two miles 

 from west to east, and covers six square miles of surface, but there are 

 very few places where it is visible. The best openings in it at present 

 are at Upton, Woodchurch, and Irby. It usually consists of thin layers 

 of laminated arenaceous marl, indurated and breaking into cubical ' 

 fragments, but probably more solid when not exposed to the atmosphere. 

 At a small section east of Woodchurch the strata dip to the west. The 

 base of the "red marl" at this place occurs of the geueral dull red 

 colour, with bluish-white bands, ripple marked, as at Upton. In the 



