110 REPORT— 1880. 



Eighth Report of the Committee, consisting of Professor Prestwich, 

 Professor Hughes, Professor W. Boyd Dawkins, the Kev. H. W. 

 Crosskey, Professor L. C. Miall, Messrs. D. Mackintosh, R. H. 

 TiDDEMAN, J. E. Lee, J. Plant, W. Pengelly, Dr. Deane, 

 W. MoLYNEUX, and Professor Bonney, appointed for the pur- 

 pose of recording the pjosition, height above the sea, lithological 

 characters, size, and origin of the Erratic Blocks of England, 

 Wales, and Ireland, reporting other matter's of interest connected 

 with the same, and taking oneasures for their preservation. 

 Drawn up by the Rev. H. W. Crosskey, Secretary. 



Although the destruction of Erratic Blocks is proceeding with remark- 

 able rapidity throughout the country, the Committee are able to report 

 the discovery and preservation of many important specimens during the 

 past year. 



Yorkshire. — Application has been made to the solicitors of the estate 

 on which the Shap Granite Boulder near Filey, mentioned in the last 

 Report of the Committee, occurs ; and they have promised to draw the 

 attention of the proprietor to it, so that, it is hoped, its preservation will 

 be secured. 



A remarkable block of Shap Granite, found at Seamer Station, near 

 Scarborough, has been removed by the station-master into his garden, 

 where it will be permanently preserved. 



This is one of the finest and most remarkaljle blocks of Shap Granite 

 yet observed ; and Mr. J. R. Dakyns has favoured the Committee with 

 the following report upon it : — 



At Seamer Station, near Scarborough, a splendid boulder of Shap 

 Granite is to be seen. This boulder measures roughly 5 ft. 8 in. x 4 ft. 

 10 in. X 4 ft. 3 in. It was found some years ago in quarrying a bed of gravel 

 near the station for ballast. The boulder, as I am informed, was fairly im- 

 bedded in the midst of the gravel. This gravel is one of those described by 

 Mr. C. F. Strangways ' as forming ' a well-marked terrace, the summit of 

 which is about 225 feet above the sea-level,' and as probably being the 

 remains of an old raised beach. The gravel can still be examined, as the 

 pits are still being worked alongside the railway near the station. It 

 consists of horizontally stratified beds of dirty gravel and sand. At the 

 S.W. end of the pit there is a thin wedge-shaped layer of stony clay in 

 the midst of the gravel. 



The boulder is specially interesting in this, that it is the only boulder 

 of Shap Granite in the neighbourhood whose position in the beds is 

 known ; and, if the information is correct, this position shows that at the 

 late age assigned to the gravels, ice must have been floating about, and 

 dropping far-derived boulders here and there. 



Lancashire. — Mr. John Aitken, of Urmston, near Manchester, reports 

 that three boulders have recently been discovered in his neighbourhood, 

 in addition to the very large one found at Old Trafi"ord, about two years 

 ago, and described by Mr. Binney in the ' Trans. Manchester Lt. and Phil. 

 Soc' (vol. xvii. p. 55). 



' See ' Memoir of the Geological Survey.' Explanation of Quartz Simp, 9.5 S.W. 

 and 95 S.E. 



