648 



EEPORT — 1894. 



such vast importance that it would be quite worth the while of the GoTernment to 

 undertake a serieB of experimental borings, which would indicate the exact position 

 of the buried coal-fields. In the present state of the mining laws it is a task not 

 likely to be undertakpn by the private adventurer. It might, however, be carried 

 out by the County Councils, or by a combination of landowners, either with or 

 without a compulsory rate, on the property which would be benefited by the 

 discovery of new fields. It is one of those objects of public utility which are 

 especially worthy of the regard of the British Association at this time and in thi» 

 place. 



5. On the Deposit of Iron Ore in the Soring at Shakespeare Cliff", Dove?: 

 By Professor Boyd Dawkins, F.R.S. 



The general results of the boring at Dover were laid before the British Associa- 

 tion at Cardiff" in 1892, so far as relates to the discovery of the south-eastern coal- 

 field. In the present communication the author treats of a bed of ironstone, which 

 38 likely to be of great importance in the new industries which will spring up 

 eooner or later in Kent in consequence of the discovery of coal in workable 

 quantities. 



The strata penetrated in the boring are as follows: — 



Upper Cretaceous 



Neocomian 



Oolitic 



C Lower Grey Chalk and Chalk marl 



i Glauconitic marl 



(Oanlt. 



I^ Folkestone Beds 



J Sandgate Beds . 



j Hythe Beds 



( Atherfield Clays 



/Portlandian 



Kimmeridgian . 

 J Coral licin . 

 I Oxf ordian "| 



Callovian / 

 VBathonian . 



Total 

 Coal-measures with twelve seams of coal 23 feet .5 inches thick 



Feet 



130 



8 



121 



64 



77 



87 



18 



32 



73 



159 



188 



156 



. 1,113 



. 1,068 1 



The ironstone occurs in the Kimmeridgian part of the section, and as shown ia 

 the following details : — 



Portlandian Beds : — Feet 



Grey marl with oolitic grains of ferric oxide 2 



Hard grey limestone 1 



Brown calcareous sandstone 2 



Grey shelly limestone with oolitic grains of ferric oxide ... 1 



Dark-grey marl 2 



Hard blue limestone with Littorina 1 



Brown oolitic ironstone 12 



Grey limestone ........... 4 



Dark bituminous clay .......... 8 



Flaggy sandstone 2 



Grey sandy clay ........... 4 



Arenaceous limestone with Cidaris 7 



Dark bituminous shale ......... 27 



Grey nodular limestone ......... 2 



Coralline Oolite with the usual fossils, Pecteii vagans, &c. . . . 27 



The ironstone presents very singular physical characters. It is composed of 

 small dark-brown shining grains of hydrated oxide of iron like millet seed, embedded 



