186 Proceedings of the Geological Society. 
wall; secondly, by a larger knowledge of fossils, derived from some 
of the groups described; and, thirdly, by new observations made 
during the past summer in the south of Ireland, the south-west of 
Scotland, and the north of England. 
New Red Sandstone.—The upper part of this series of strata is 
shewn, by sections derived from Warwickshire, to be sometimes un- 
conformable to the lower portion, which represents the magnesian 
limestone and inferior beds; and the latter division is also shewn to 
pass into the coal measures, the intermediate strata being loaded with 
common carboniferous plants. In the neighbourhood of Whitehaven, 
however, there is no passage from the lower new red sandstone into 
the coal measures, though the carboniferous flora apparently existed 
in full perfection during the period in which the former strata were 
deposited. The new red sandstone of Dumfriesshire is shewn to be 
continuous with that of the plains of Carlisle ; but the lower divisions 
of the series are considered to be wanting. The strata near Dum- 
fries are stated to be mineralogically the same as those of Corncockle 
Moor, and to contain impressions of footsteps. To the north of the 
Galloway chain the new red series occurs at very few localities ; and 
coupling this fact with the great development in many parts of Scot- 
land of red sandstones of the carboniferous series, the author concludes 
that the highest stratified beds of Arran do not represent the new 
red-sandstone, but a portion of the coal measures, though there is 
no counterpart in England of the upper conglomerate of that island. 
Carboniferous Scries.—The changes in this series, in its range 
from the north of England to the basin of the Tweed, are briefly no- 
ticed, and the coal-field of the latter district is shewn to be geologi- 
cally far below the great coal-field of Neweastle, assuming the Scotch 
type, though the coal-field on the south side of the Firth conforms to 
the English type. The carboniferous series of Scotland is then 
stated to be divisible into the three following groups ;—/irst, the rich 
deposits, with numerous beds of coal, presenting, in their general 
characters, the closest analogy to the English coal-fields, though 
their exact position in the geological sequence cannot be determined ; 
secondly, a great group, forming the base of the most productive coal 
measures, and containing beds of coal of an inferior quality, also 
many thin bonds of limestone alternating with sandstones and shales, 
and having generally thick beds of limestone at the top; thirdly, a 
variable deposit of red sandstone, shales, &c., containing, in the 
higher portions, coal-measure plants, with even thin beds of coal, and 
passing downwards by insensible gradations into the old red-sand- 
stone. The author next points out the perplexity which has been 
introduced into the geological map of Scotland, by representing the 
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