the permian formation. 101 



Quicksand. 



Occasionally we find beneath the magnesian limestone, and resting 

 on the underlying carboniferous rocks, certain local deposits of white 

 or yellow false-bedded sand, which are never more than a few feet in 

 thickness and are often absent altogether. It is not certain that this 

 rock is present in Durhan. The unconsolidated sand rocks that are 

 so frequently seen beneath the magnesian limestone escarpment m 

 that county are now properly classed with the carboniferous system. 

 It is doubtful whether it has been met with in any of the colliery shafts 

 sunk thi'ough the limestone. In Yorkshire these beds may be seen at 

 several points along the limestone escarpment. At West Garforth, 

 near Leeds, there are exposed beneath the thin-bedded lower limestone 

 some ten or twelve feet of excessively current-bedded sand ; the upper 

 portion is very fine grained and used for moulding in iron making, the 

 lower part is coarser and contains small rounded pebbles of white 

 quartz. This deposit thins out rapidly S. or S.W. At Glass Houghton, 

 between Pontsfract and Castleford. from nine to twelve feet of white 

 and yellow fine grained friable sandstone may be seen cropping out 

 from beneath thin-bedded argillaceous limestone, which I take to 

 represent the marl slates. Similar " quicksand " is shown in a small 

 quarry at Scriven, near Knaresboro'. At the brick and pottery works, 

 Conisboro', the section shows some eight or nine feet of blue clay and 

 thin-bedded limestone ('? marl slates,) resting on some six feet of gritty 

 sand, with seams of breccia, ("quicksand/') which in turn rest upon 

 an eroded surface of red marls and sandstones belonging to the upper 

 coal measures. In the Shireoaks pits (on the borders of Notts and 

 Yorkshire) at a depth of 213 feet, a light grey unconsolidated sandrock, 

 varying from 1ft. Sin. to 7ft. Oin. in the two shafts was met with, which 

 is considered as the bottom rock of the Permians and may represent 

 the '•quicksand." In some large open pits at Pebbly Dam, near 

 Harthill, there are about twenty feet of loose yellow sand which may 

 be the " quicksand." South of Shireoaks we have no equivalent of 

 this peculiar deposit, unless the breccia at the foot of the marl slates 

 presently to be mentioned may be taken to represent the " quicksand" 

 of Yorkshire. 



(To be continued.) 



THE FLORA OF WARWICKSHIRE. 



AX ACCOUNT OF THE FLOWERING PLANTS AND FERNS 



OF THE COUNTY OF WARWICK. 



BY JAMES E. BAGXALL. 



(Continued from page 81.) 

 R. sceleratus, Linn. Celery-leaved Crowfoot. 



Native: By pools, ditches, and streams. Locally common. May to 

 September. 

 I. Sutton Park ; Duke's Bridge, near Coleshill ; Marston Green ; 

 Berkswell. &c. 



