378 



Dalton : Glacial Evidences near Scunthorpe. 



Scunthorpe lies roughly about half way between the Humber 

 and Messingham. Since this district was surveyed, many 

 sections have been exposed whilst mining for Ironstone, 

 which is fortunately near the surface, and consequently the 

 sections can be easily seen and examined. 



As will be seen from the following list, a considerable 

 quantity of erratics of a varied and interesting nature has 

 recently been recorded. 



As a rule, the Ironstone is covered by sand, which varies 

 considerably in thickness, though in two pits at Scunthorpe, 

 there are only about two feet of ' Blown Sand,' with no clay 

 amongst it. In other pits there is a covering of dark green 

 clay, averaging about three feet in thickness, and containing 

 numerous flints. 



Though nearly all the erratics recently found are little more 

 than pebbles, there are some quartzites weighing several 

 pounds. These are principally found in the sand, the clay 

 containing a comparative few only. 



In the Trent pits the clay rests upon the Lower Lias Clay, 

 which contains nodules full of Ammonites capricornus. Above 

 the clay there is gravel and sand, and a thin stratum of peat. 

 The gravels make well-marked ' pockets ' and ' pipes ' in the 

 clay beneath, the pockets being very numerous. The gravels 

 contain numerous Gryphoeas, but up to the present have not 

 yielded any erratics. 



Further south the sand gets thicker, and the bed of peat 

 increases in some places to as much as three feet. 



With regard to the erratics, very few show striae, and they 

 are all very much water-worn. 



An analysis of the erratics g 



From the Lake District 

 Scandinavia 

 Scotland 

 Trias 

 Cheviots 

 Yorks. or Lines 

 Local 

 Not identified 



ives the following 



II. 5 per cent. 



5.7 

 3-8 



134 

 1.9 



1.9 

 50.0 



Mr. T. Sheppard records that ' there is evidence that the 

 western-most limit of the Scandinavian ice was reached pre- 

 cisely where Ferriby now is. There is certainly no true boulder 



Naturalist. 



