1823.] Rothetodtliegende and Weissliegende. 329 



occur in the todtliegende in Bohemia." * And the same obser- 

 vation is to be found in vol. i. p. 46.f 



Yet with all these facts before him, Mr. Conybeare assures us, 

 " that the plan of Freiesleben's work does not extend to the coal 

 formation, properly so called." And why ? Because that author 

 has made a distinction between the single beds of coal that occur 

 incidentally subordinate to the rothliegende, and the continuous 

 coal tracts. With equal justice might it be said, that the plan 

 of a writer on the north-east of England did not extend to the 

 coal formation, properly so called, because a distinction was 

 made between the single beds of coal incidentally disposed in 

 the carboniferous limestone of that tract, and the continuous coal 

 measures. 



I think it needless to repeat in this place what I have already 

 stated in former communications concerning the occasional 

 juxta-position of the old red sandstone and the coal formation, 

 as well as concerning their association with limestone, porphyry, 

 and trap, respectively. 



There is, however, one part of the German description (ad- 

 verted to above, p. 325) that requires distinct notice, since from 

 the language employed, it has probably given rise to considerable 

 misapprehension. It is where it is said, that a formation of 

 coaly shale or coal is interposed in some districts between the 

 rothliegende and the subjacent tracts of clayslate and greywacke, 

 or porphyry ; particularly in certain parts of the Forest of 

 Thuringia. This representation seems to imply nothing more 

 than that, in the general expanse of the carboniferous series, a 

 part of the coal formation is itself in particular quarters in con- 

 tact with transition or primary tracts. Yet, even in these cases, 

 rothliegende is said to form the basis of the coaly shale or coal. 

 See e. g. the account of the coaly shale near Goldlauter, in the 

 Upper Trogberg, near Breitenbach, and other places, which 

 indeed are considered by Von Hoff and Jacob as belonging to 

 the coal formation (Freiesleben, vol. iv. p. 142 — 169). See also 

 the local occurrences of coal in various parts of the Forest, 

 (lb. p. 179 — 191.) In several of these cases, both limestone 

 and porphyry are associated in the series. 



The preceding references and extracts from Freiesleben have, 

 I conceive, clearly proved, that the rothetodtliegende series of 

 the Germans is the representative of the carboniferous series of 

 the English. And no where can I find any evidence in that 

 author, by which it could be shown, that the rothetodtliegende 

 series has any connexion beyond that of juxta-position with the 

 weissliegende ; a formation, which, corresponding both in phy- 

 sical characters and in relative position with the calcareous or 



* " Iteuss. Mineralogische und Bergmannische Be.nerkungen iiber Biihmen." 

 + In stating that Von Buch and Reuss refer the true coal tracts of Silesia and 

 Bohemia to the todtliegende formation, it is the intention of Freiesleben to show that 

 they belong to the first floetz or carboniferous series, in contradistinction to formation! 

 of coal of later origin (e, g. wood coal) also found in those countries. 



