Reports and Proceedings. 83 



sunk in a proper site, although no blame can be attached now to 

 individuals who, no doubt, did their best under the circumstances. 



The author then exhibited sections of the strata at Green-lane, 

 Windsor, and Bootle, and described the general dip of the strata as 

 being towards the east, with great faults at intervals of a mile or 

 two. The G-reen-lane well was indicated upon a section as being a 

 little to the west of one of these great faults, with the strata dipping 

 to the fault, and cropping out to the west, in which direction, and 

 considerably to the north and south, no other fault was known to 

 exist. Several reasons were given to prove that this well was in the 

 best possible situation. The yield is 3,000,000 gallons daily, almost 

 equal to that of all the other wells put together. The sections of 

 the strata in which the Windsor and BoQtle wells occur, show the 

 wells to be differently placed. They are situated on the eastern 

 sides of faults, with the strata dipping to the east ; and as the Bootle 

 well is nearer the fault than the Windsor well, the quantity of 

 water obtained is less. The site of the wells in the town does not 

 seem to have been selected according to any definite rule. Mr. 

 Morton quoted the opinion of Mr. Cunningham and Mr. Hull with 

 regard to the passage of water through faults, and stated his own, 

 opinion to be that, though water would find its way through them, 

 they certainly presented a great hindrance to its doing so, and 

 considered the site of a well should generally be on the downthrow 

 side of a fault, when the inclination of the strata would be towards 

 it ; and concluded that the Green-lane well is the only one belong- 

 ing to the Corporation that is in a proper situation ; that the supply 

 of water might be largely increased by sinking from one to three 

 additional wells ; and that the neighbourhood of Childwall or 

 Woolton would be a desirable locality for one of them. 



III. — December 12, 1865. — The following paper was read : — '' On 

 Granite and other Metamorphic Eocks." By Mr. G. H. Morton, F.G.S. 



The author favoured the igneous origin of Granite, but considered 

 it to have been subsequently altered by metamorphic action. With 

 regard to the occurrence of stratified Granite and Gneiss, as at 

 Malvern, St. David's, etc., he stated that a Sandstone, containing the 

 necessary element, — Silica, Alumina, Magnesia, Lime, Potash, etc., 

 — would, in certain cases, form a rock exactly resembling the 

 crystalline strata referred to. Schistose rocks are no doubt altered 

 shales and slates, and they consequentlj^ retained the original laminae 

 of the rock. Sandstone being coarser, formed Gneiss ; and, if it did 

 not possess any lamination, it is improbable that metamorphism 

 would cause foliation of the new minerals, and consequently a rock 

 like Granite would result ; but it would be a bedded-rock, and of 

 aqueous origin. The author showed specimens of Sandstones that 

 possess little or no lamination, and considered that such kinds 

 accoimted for the origin of beds of Granite, or Syenite, which under 

 such conditions, should be called Gneiss ; and referred to Professor 

 Jukes' statement that Granite and Gneiss cannot be always identified 

 by hand-specimens, observation in the field being necessary. 



