THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 147 



a pear, the large rounded dome lying to the north-west, and the 

 tapering stem pointing towards May Hill. A section across the district 

 from the River Wye through Fownhope Park to the vicinity of Putley, 

 in a line nearly east and west, discloses the structure of this remarkable 

 region, and shows the geological reasons for its peculiar physiography. 



The Caradoc Sandstone, the oldest rock, forms the centre of 

 the dome, which is overlaid by the Woolhope Limestone, the con- 

 cavity around being excavated out of the Wenlock Shales ; the 

 inner ring of hills are formed by the outcrop of the Wenlock Limestone, 

 flanked by the Lower Ludlow Shales ; and the outer chain of 

 high ground which borders the whole of this interesting region is 

 formed by the Ayrnestry Limestone and Upper Ludlow Flags and 

 Shales, dipping everywhere away from the centre towards the wide 

 area of the Old Eed Sandstone. 



The May Hill District. — Yarleton or May Hill is easily recognised 

 from the valley by its dome-shaped summit, crowned with a clump of 

 trees, and elevated 972ft. above the level of tbe sea, forming an extension 

 southwards, or an outlier of the Silurian Rocks so well exposed in 

 tbe Woolhope district. Like that region, the Caradoc or May Hill 

 Sandstone is the oldest sedimentary deposit, and consists of an upper, 

 middle, and lower division, the upper part formed of thin-bedded 

 Sandstones and grayish Shales, with bands of fossils, all in the form 

 of moulds, extremely abundant, sharp, and well-defined ; tbe middle 

 part formed of tbick Sandstones, with bands of pebbles passing into 

 Conglomerate, and fossils the same as in the upper portion ; tbe lower 

 part contains Conglomerates full of rolled quartz, pebbles, and 

 pieces of felspar, cemented together by finer grains, and occasionally 

 much indurated. On the flanks of the dome are beds of Woolhope 

 Limestone, well exposed in roadside sections between Huntly and 

 Mitcheldean, and showing a series of nodules and lumpy irregular 

 beds alternating with Shale for a considerable thickness. The Wen- 

 loci; Shale is but little exposed on the flanks of May Hill. The 

 Wenlock Limestone is extensively so, and is quarried for building and 

 agricultural purposes in long continuous channels along the crests of 

 the woody hills encircling the Caradoc dome. Fossils are very abun- 

 dant, and corals especially in the lower beds. The Ludlow Rocks are 

 well exposed in several localities on the western side of the hill, where 

 the beds may be traced down to the Wenlock Limestones, whilst on 

 the eastern side they graduate into the Old Red Sandstone. The 

 Ludlow Rocks are very f ossilif erous in parts, and are well exposed in 

 several sections. 



The Downton Sandstone is seen on the eastern side of May Hill, 

 where it is quarried for flagging and walling. These Sandstones consist 

 of light-coloured laminated beds, which lie between the Gray Shales of 

 the Upper Ludlow and the Old Red Sandstone. They contain some 

 vegetable but no animal remains. 



The Old Red Sandstone becomes largely developed in the vicinity 

 of May Hill, swelling out to 5,000 or 6,000 feet in thickness, and almost 



