ON THE ABSENCE OF WATERFALLS IN THE 

 SCENERY OF NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE. 



BY J. E. DAVIS. 



OF the various applications of an acquaintance with the 

 physical structure of a country or district not one appears 

 to me to be so attractive as that which enables us to read 

 the history of a landscape. In the more minute investi- 

 gation into organic structure, whether of past or present 

 life, our sense of the beautiful in nature is sometimes 

 perhaps often lost sight of, or is at least perceived with 

 obscured powers of vision ; but in the contemplation of a 

 view it cannot diminish our appreciation of its grandeur 

 or its grace to know why one line is rugged and another 

 curved why we have an elevated tract here and a deep 

 gorge there. 



It is, moreover, a good mode of testing our knowledge 

 of general principles of science to cover the page of external 

 nature laid open to our view at any particular spot with 

 notes of interrogation. The endeavour to obtain accurate 

 answers to these questions often teaches us also how to 

 observe correctly, and not to be satisfied with mere guesses. 



One of the questions occuring to me when my eyes 

 have wandered over the scenery of North Staffordshire has 

 been this " Why are there no Waterfalls ? " and this 

 question I ask your kind assistance this evening in solving. 



