24. On the, Older Floeiz Strata of: England: [Juy,; 
transition rocks. 1 have mentioned its relation to, those near. Mal- 
vern, Mr. Aikin informs.us that. it rests, in Shropshire on. highly. 
elevated strata of grey-wacke; and L observe, by the last number 
of your Annals, that Mr. Horner has found it lying on the same 
formation pear the Quantock Hills, in Somersetshire. 
The red sand-stene.is supposed to contain no organic remains, 
I believe, however, that 1 have seen traces of entrochites in it. 
The mountain lime-stone which rests upon it contains the fossils. 
enumerated above, and which agreeso remarkably with those of the 
transition formation, It often resembles the transition, lime-stone. 
in its texture, but is less crystalline, and has much thicker, beds,*. 
From, these considerations [ think it is evident that the rocks be- 
longing to the independent coal formation follow the old red sand- 
stone in the. geological succession, and are more ancient than any 
other member of the floetz series. 
But further, we may almost venture to assert that the succeeding. 
formations in the system of Werner have no existence in this coun- 
try, and that the order of floetz rocks, from the old red sand-stone. 
up to the chalk which form the greater part of South Britain, bear 
very little analogy to the succession, pointed: out by that celebrated: 
naturalist. 
I have stated that the strata above-mentioned dip.most commonly, 
towards the S. W. The coal, together with the. micaceous. sand- 
stone and the argillaceous stone which forms. the roofs, &c. of, the. 
coal seams, dip conformably ; 3 but this, as well as the general incli- 
tion of the subjacent rock, is subject to variations. The whole 
commonly incline at a very perceptible angle. Over. these. rocks 
are deposited a series of strata which lie very nearly. parallel to.the, 
plane of the horizon. 
The first or lowest of these is that which Messrs. Townsend and. 
Farey denominate red ground and red marl. It has, if 1 mistake. 
not, been confounded with the old red sand-stone, Its composition 
varies; sometimes. it is, an. argillaceous sand-stone, but without. 
mica, and destitute of that slaty form which characterizes the older 
sand-stone. I never saw it contain any rounded pieces of quartz. 
Th some places it becomes a marl rock, consisting chiefly of car- 
bonate of lime. This is the case on the banks of the Severn, where 
it contains a bed of gypsum.t According to Mr. Townsend, the 
* This resemblance accounts for the disagreement we find among high authori- 
ties on the subject of these lime-stones. Mr. Werner, in his little book on veins, 
mentions the lime-stone rocks at the peak in Derbyshire twice; once he calls them, 
transition rocks, and once affirms that they are floetz, M. Brochant says they . 
are transition, and I understand that Mr. Jameson considers them as floetz. 
+ I scarcely need obserye that I haye not mentioned these strata for the sake of 
claiming the discovery of them, but merely with the view of making some remarks 
on their order, and the relation which their succession bears to the series of M. 
Werner. A yery accurate account of these formations is already before the 
public, in the paper of Mr, Gilby above referred to; and an extensive collection. 
of interesting fact: respecting these and other newer ‘floetz rocks in South Britain. 
is contained in the work of the Rey. L. Townsend, who mentions that he derived 
his first information concerning them from Mr. W. Smith. 
