320 Geological Society. 



recorded from those of the main South "Wales Coalfield, and hence 

 are additions to our knowledge of the flora of the Middle Coal 

 Measures of South Wales. 



2. ' The Halesowen Sandstone Series of the Southern End of the 

 South Staffordshire Coalfield; and the Petrified Logs of Wood 

 found therein at Witley Colliery, Halesowen (Worcestershire)/ 

 By Henry Kay, F.G.S. With an Appendix on the Structure of 

 a New Species of Dadoxylon, by E. A. Newell Arber, M.A., 

 Sc.D., F.L.S., F.G.S. 



The Halesowen Sandstones are separable from the Old Hill 

 Marls by a series of passage-beds consisting of conglomerate-bands, 

 marl-bands, and ironshot sandstones. 



At the summit of the series is Prof. Charles Lapworth's 'Spirorbis 

 Limestone Group,' which is re-named the ' Illey Group,' in conse- 

 quence of the discovery of Spiimbis limestone at other horizons. 



The Halesowen coal-seam and associated beds of blue clay form 

 a definite intermediate horizon traceable across the coalfield. On 

 this is based a classification consisting of : — 



Thickness in feet. 



(5) The Illey Group 100 to 120 



(4) The Hasbury Group 120 to 150 



(3) The Halesowen Coal and Clays 10 to 50 



(2) The Witley Group 200 



(1) The Passage Beds to 100 



The area is folded into two anticlines with a deep central syncline 

 ranging south-south-eastwards, and the strata have a persistent 

 south-south-easterly dip. The northern face is let down by a fault 

 repeating the lower beds. Other faults throw southwards, and yet 

 others intersect the anticlines. Unconformities occur at the base 

 and at the summit of the Hasbury Group in the Wassel Grove 

 area, the former being largely buried by horizontal members of the 

 group. Mining operations show the existence of a buried anti- 

 cline with the full Coal-Measure Series, but cutting out successively 

 the Old Hill Marls, the Passage Beds, and a great part of the 

 Witley Group. This is cut off by a fault only from the exposed 

 Netherton Anticline immediately on the north, the uprise of which 

 in early Upper Carboniferous time is therefore inferred. 



The Keele Beds rest unconformably near the buried anticline 

 upon the Illey Group, and upon various members of the Hasbury 

 Group, and are themselves much reduced in thickness. Additional 

 uplift of the anticline in later Upper Carboniferous time is suggested 

 a 8 the cause. 



The Witley Colliery railway-cutting shows big logs of petrified 

 wood very finely preserved by calcite, and indisputably of Upper 

 Carboniferous age. The wood has been examined by Dr. Newell 

 Arber, who finds it to have Araucarian affinities, but of a species 

 new to science. In consequence of its Palaeozoic age, it is referred 

 to the genus Dadoxylon. The type of preservation is also new to this 

 horizon in this country, and the discovery of Dadoxylon at Witley 

 constitutes a new record for British Upper Carboniferous rocks. 

 Among the associated plants are Catamites, Lepidodendron, etc. 



