1826.] On the Strata North of the Htimber, near Cave. 435 



Article VI. 



An Account of the Strata North of the Ilurnber, near Cave. 

 By the Rev. William Vernon, PYPS. FRS. FGS.* (With 

 a Plate.) Communicated by the Author. 



At the first institution of this Society, it was suggested as a 

 geological subject particularly deserving the attention of its 

 members, to investigate the strata on the eastern side of York- 

 shire from the lias to the chalk, and to examine their correspond- 

 ence with the beds of the great chain which runs northward 

 through England to the Humber. 



In this inquiry considerable progress has been made by the 

 late researches of Mr. Smith, who, having at the Society's invi- 

 tation returned to the county, and resumed his examination of 

 its geology, has explored the northern range of oolitic hills from 

 Scarbro' to Hambleton, with his nephew Mr. Phillips, has 

 detected three members of the southern series which had not 

 been before observed, and established the following descending* 

 order of formations ; namely, the coral rag, the calcareous grit, 

 the Oxford clay, the Kelloways rock, and the Cornbrash, 

 between which and the lias of Whitby lie several calcareous and 

 sandy beds, occupying the position of the inferior oolite of the 

 south. 



It remained an important desideratum to examine with accu- 

 racy that part of the oolitic range which was first noticed by 

 Mr. Smith in the neighbourhood of Cave, and which might be 

 expected to furnish the connecting link between the district 

 already mentioned, and the main chain of oolitic hills which 

 traverses the kingdom from beyond Bath, through Lincolnshire 

 to the Humber. 



With this view I proposed to the Keeperf of the Museum, to 

 accompany me on an excursion, in which we made the observa- 

 tions now submitted to the Society. 



The tract to be investigated was the country to the right and 

 left of the road from Goodmanham to Brough. We knew that 

 at Goodmanham the lias had been found by Mr. Smith, and that 

 he considered it as extending southward to the Humber, and I 

 iiad myself in 1823 traced the oolite from Sancton nearly to 

 Brough. I had also observed a different calcareous and sandy 

 rock further to the east, and immediately under the chalk an 

 exhibition of red chalk and blue clay similar to that which 

 occurs on the northern side of the Wolds at Specton and at 

 Knapton. The direction then of the lias, the character and 

 extent of two beds belonging to the oolitic series, and of the 



• Read before the Yorkshire Philosophical Society, April 4, 1826, 

 + Mr. Pliillips. 



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