xx. IRON. 497 



calcareous, sometimes sparry stone, slightly ferruginous, fit for 

 building, a purpose in which the iron-stone is commonly and 

 advantageously employed. 



The agreement of this rock with the iron-stone bands which lie 

 upon the laminated marlstone of Yorkshire is obvious. As we 

 proceed northward, through Northamptonshire and Rutland, more 

 of these subjacent beds come into the series, the whole thickens 

 and becomes even more fossiliferous, but without increasing the 

 proportion of iron. 



The next in order of time is a thinner and less regular, but in 

 places rich band, resting on the upper lias, and corresponding in 

 geological position to the Northamptonshire ore and the rich bed 

 at the base of the Inferior oolite in Rosedale, Yorkshire. Beyond 

 Northamptonshire the occurrence of this valuable bed is variable, 

 till we reach the country about Castle- Howard and Thirsk, Eosedale 

 and Whitby. This ore has been already described as it occurs at 

 Worton (p. 145). 



The third band is on the summit of Shotover, and if all the iron 

 oxide, so abundant there, could be made available in the furnace, 

 it would be valuable. But much of it is silicated, and all scattered 

 about, except a limited ochraceous deposit of oolitic or pisolitic 

 texture, beyond the summit of the hill toward Shotover House 

 (see p. 414). This is only exhibited for a small space, and on that 

 account must not be added to the other inducements for dis- 

 figuring the still delightful monticule of ' Chateau vert/ if that 

 be the true etymon for Shotover. Abundance of iron oxide on 

 the parallel of these Shotover sands is mixed with the sands of 

 Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire, but it is not in a condition 

 for the furnace. 



The scarcity of iron-ore in Staffordshire^ and the growing 

 demand from South Wales may lead to a great extension of the 

 iron-stone diggings ; and it ought to be no matter of regret that 

 coal is not likely to be extracted here by pits, or brought by rail- 

 ways to feed blast furnaces in the green dale of the Cherwell 



STONE. 



Oxfordshire, though a stony district, containing lias, oolite, and 

 chalk with flints, is obliged to import building-stone from Bath, flag- 



Kk 



