40 THE MOORLAND DISTRICT. 



one of the branches of Eskdale, and after passing by an obscure course 

 across the moors, reaches Hood hill, Coxwold, and Owlston. It now 

 becomes decidedly oolitic in the lower part, and slaty in the upper part ; 

 and these distinct portions of the rock, separated by sandstone and a layer 

 of blue clay, range by Brandsby, Terrington, and Crambe, to the quarries 

 about Westow, and are continued more obscurely between Leppington 

 and Acklam, to Kirby Underdale, where they pass under the chalk hills. 

 The oolitic part of the group re-appears from beneath the wolds at Sanc- 

 ton, and ranges by Newbald, Everthorpe, Ellerker, and Elloughton, to 

 the Humber, near Brough ferry. The Lincolnshire oolite, beyond this, 

 river, is a continuation of the same rocks increased in thickness. 



On the sea-coast, and in the eastern moorlands, these calcareous 

 strata are much debased by admixture of sand, argillaceous matter, and 

 ironstone, so as to be very indifferent limestone, and very unlike the 

 usual appearance of oolite. But in the western part of the same dis- 

 trict their aspect changes ; the rock becomes more united in itself, and 

 more separated from the sandstones about it, and assumes its true charac- 

 ter of oolite. The upper fissile portion, at Brandsby and Terrington. 

 appears to agree remarkably in structure, composition, and organic re- 

 mains, with the slaty stone of Wittering heath in Northamptonshire, and 

 Stonsfield near Oxford ; which Professor Buckland has decided to be 

 forest marble. This slaty stone seldom occurs in a satisfactory manner 

 on the sea-coast, and yet is not entirely deficient : it may be examined 

 at the northern extremity of the point called White Nab, near Scar- 

 borough. 



THE SANDSTONES AND SHALES, (No. 11,) now to be noticed, which 

 rest upon the oolitic limestone, have a general resemblance to those 

 which cover the dogger. The lower part consists chiefly of thick, irre- 

 gular strata of sandstone, often interspersed with nodules of ironstone 

 and layers of shale, containing small and very confined seams of coal, 

 and local deposits of fossil plants. Above, is a thick deposit of dark 

 and light-coloured shale, with alternations of thin sandstones. 



