ON THE ERRATIC BLOCKS OF ENGLAND, WALES, AND IRELAND. 345 
The writers desire to place on record some observations they have 
made in the course of an examination of the hill conntry on the western 
side of the Pennine axis, with a view to the demarcation of the limits of 
the drift containing erratics of the types prevalent in South Lancashire 
and Cheshire. 
The country to which the following remarks must be taken to apply 
is that great ridge which culminates in the sharp escarpment called the 
Windgather Rocks. The ridge runs nearly N. and S., and the valley on 
the western side (the Kettleshulme Valley) is broad and comparatively 
unobstructed to the N., where it opens out towards the lower ground 
about Disley; but the eastern valley becomes much involved to the 
northward amongst a succession of hills, such as Chinley Churn and 
Eccles Pike. The ridge before referred to is excavated by a very deep 
longitudinal T-shaped valley which dies out north and south, but has a 
deep gorge-like outlet on the EH. opening into the Goyt Valley on that 
side. 
Commencing our search at Taxal on the east, we found small erratics 
at about 600 ft., and traced them intermittently upward in a southerly 
direction to the farmhouse called ‘Overton,’ where there was a block of 
Buttermere ‘syenite’ weighing about 2 cwt. built into one of the barns ; 
thence we traced them in increasing numbers right up to the summit of 
the spur which separates the subsidiary longitudinal valley from the 
main valley. Over the spur we lost the trace, and in our descent and 
re-ascent up to the Windgather Rocks the clue was not taken up. At 
the Windgather Rocks themselves we looked carefully for traces of ice- 
scratches, but nothing of the kind was to be seen. It may be well to 
remark that the extreme edge of the hill consists of bare millstone grit 
dipping E. ata high angle, and making a precipitous escarpment upon the 
west about 20 to 30 ft. in height. A portion of the length of this is 
a natural face, but some quarrying has been done. The first trace of 
erratics is met with in the position described on the forms recording the 
boulders, viz.: about 200 yards from tke farmhouse on the ridge N. of 
the Windgather Rocks. This point is north of the head of the valley 
which cleaves the hill. 
Amongst the erratics noted blue and green andesitic rocks of the 
Borrowdale type greatly predominate, but the majority of the larger 
stones are ot Buttermere ‘syenite.’ Besides there is Eskdale granite, 
a south Scottish granite, purple quartzite such as is found in the Bunter, 
and, finally, a white quartzite of saccharoid texture much resembling 
that of the Wrekin, but lacking the rhyolitic particles which are so 
common in that rock.!_ We would draw attention to the fact that in the 
ascent of the hill from the E. the erratics increase in number with the 
altitude. 
YORKSHIRE. 
Valuable contributions have been received for several years pastfrom the 
Committee formed in Yorkshire for the express purpose of exploring and 
recording the remarkable and numerous erratic boulders of that county. 
Mr. 8. Chadwick, F.G.S., Malton, has been now appointed secretary, 
and has forwarded the following reports. 
1 This quartzite is the first erratic to be observed in descending the Kettleshulme 
Valley from Jenkin Chapel. 
