626 REPORT — 1886. 



aggregate, compose the thick coal show in that district a marked tendency to 

 separate as they extend southwards, and at the same time to become thinner and 

 to deteriorate in quality ; that the Coal-measures rest immediately on the Ludlow 

 Passage beds at Halesowen ]\Ianor and AVassell and on the Cambrian quartzite at 

 the Lower Lickey. The paper concluded by a reference to the bearing of these 

 facts on the geological history of the district. 



7. Notes on the Mocks hetween the Thich Coal and the Trias North of Bir- 

 mingham and the Old South Staffordshire Coalfield. By Fredeeick G. 

 Meacham, M.E., and H. Inslet. 



The most complete sections of these rocks can be seen only in deep sinkings for 

 coal. All other sections in the district expose but little of the rocks overlying the 

 Thick Coal Seams. 



Taking the rocks in order, we find the following : — Lying upon the Thick Coal 

 is a set of black, greasy unfossiliferous shales, to 11 inches, followed first by 

 grey shales with ironstone nodules and then by alternations of shales and thin flags 

 coated with carbonaceous hlms and containing a few fossils of the usual Coal 

 Measure types. These are succeeded by some thin seams of fireclay, and then by 

 the Brooch Coal, which is in turn covered by grey earthy shales with * Unios,' and 

 this, again, by the well-known Stigmaria beds. Grey and blue shales variegated 

 with irregular brown bands overlie the last, and are succeeded by an earthy con- 

 glomerate locally known as the Espley rock. At Hamstead a few seams of fireclay 

 are followed by a representative of the Foot Seam, there only 4k inches thick. 

 This is succeeded by nine feet of black earthy shale, very fissile, and containing a 

 Lingvla in abundance, as well as what we take to be casts of Orthoceras, E^wm- 

 phalus, Productus, and Spirifer. Casts of Productus occur also in the associated 

 Ironstone. Fireclays and black bituminous shales succeed, followed by purple and 

 red sandstones. This is at 72 yards above the Thick Coal. Two feet of blue- 

 grey shale containing Calamites, Lejiidodendron, and impressions of sedge-like vege- 

 tation succeed, and are followed by six feet of fireclay. Seven hundred and thirty- 

 two feet of unfossiliferous, variegated marls, with occasional bands of conglomerate, 

 succeed, and are followed by 9 feet of fireclay containing Aster ophyllites, Calamites, 

 Cyclopteris, and Keuropteris in abundance. About four hundred feet of variegated 

 marls succeed, and are generally followed by a thin band of limestone containing 

 Spirorbis. More marls, interstratified with hard calcareous bands, rain-pitted and 

 ripple-marked, succeed. These yield Asterophyllites, Lepidodendron, Siyillaria, 

 Neuropteris, Pecopteris, &c., and various sedge-like impressions. 



At 380 yards above the Thick Coal is a bed of red and brown marl, about a 

 hundred feet thick, exhibing circular markings, which are nearly white on the outer 

 part and dark towards the centre. This zone forms an excellent and constant land- 

 mark in searching for coal here, as it has been met with in the same relative posi- 

 tion in the Sandwell, Hamstead, and Perry trial sinkings. From their horizon to 

 the surface the rocks consist of marls and sandstones of various colours, with 

 occasional conglomerates of well-rounded pebbles. 



Disturbances, periodical and varying in force, are evidenced in the marls and 

 rock-bands dipping to the east at angles from 5i to 20 and even to 30 degrees. We 

 have met with no fossils nearer the surface than 209 yards, then a Cyclopteris-Hke 

 leaf, and impressions of reeds occur sparingly. 



The question has often arisen in our minds regarding the red rocks of the 

 district we are reviewing. They are set down as Permian by the last Survey, 

 whilst the finding of the fossils enumerated above indicates that they are Upper 

 Coal Measures. If not, then the Coal Measures pass imperceptibly into the over- 

 lying Permian, for the lower marls containing Coal Measure fossils differ in no 

 respect from the beds which come to the surface and which are classed as Permian 

 by the Survey. 



At Wednesfield some years ago a trial sinking was made on the ground marked 

 Permian. The measures passed through were principally red and yellow marls, 



