Beports and Proceedings. 517 



Lying on the top of these Chalk outliers is a thin seam of shells, 

 very much resembling in appearance some portions of the Norwich 

 Crag. No fewer than six different species of marine shells were 

 obtained, all of which are characteristic of the Crag. The bed at 

 Trimmingham also holds a corresponding place to the true Crag, for 

 it rests immediately upon the Chalk. If it be the true Norwich Crag, 

 it will extend that deposit over a greater area than has been hitherto 

 supposed. The members occupied some time in extracting flints 

 containing sponges, for the purpose of microscopical examination. 

 — J. E. T., Norwich Mercury, Aug. 18, 1866. 



EicHMOND Naturalists' Field-cltjb. — We reported an excursion 

 of this club to Saltburn-by-the-Sea, on the 31st July, in the Geolo- 

 gical Magazine for September (p. 429).- On that occasion the 

 president of the club, Edward Wood, Esq.. E.G.S., invited the 

 members to dinner at the Zetland Hotel ; but, owing to the unfavour- 

 able state of the weather, the intended visit to the iron mines of J. 

 W. Pease, Esq., M.P., had to be deferred. On the 25th August, how- 

 ever, a second visit to Saltbum was arranged, and the programme 

 most successfully carried out. The party, nearly 100 in number, 

 arrived at Saltburn about noon, under the conduct of Mr. Wood, 

 accompanied by Sir George W. Denys, Bart., Sir John Lawson, Bart., 

 Capt. Denys, the Eev. J. Thompson, and other leading members. 

 Having been successfully photographed, the company started for the 

 very extensive and valuable iron-mines of Mr. Pease, M.P. Before 

 entering the mine, the president, Mr, Wood, delivered an address on 

 the geology of the Cleveland Ironstone district. These deposits form 

 part of the Lias formation, and were described by Young and Bird 

 in 1822, and subsequently by Professor Phillips in his " Geology 

 of Yorkshire," in 1835. So early as 1811 an attempt was made to 

 smelt the ore, but it was so intractable as to be considered vahieless. 

 It was the introduction of the " hot-blast furnace " (first used here in 

 1831) which has converted this district into a rich centre of mineral 

 wealth. The Ironstone was formerly collected upon the shore, as 

 boulders, and sent up to Middlesborough in boats ; then from open 

 workings in the hill-sides ; but the great means of production is by 

 driving a level into the hill-sides, which is the plan adopted at Mr. 

 Pease's works. Messrs. Bell Brothers have lately sunk some shafts 

 to work the iron-ore, as coal is worked ; but they are the first here 

 who have adopted this plan. Some idea may be formed of the value 

 of these mines when it is stated that the yield of the Cleveland 

 Ironstone district amounts to a million tons of pig-iron annually. 

 Having explored the mine, under the intelligent" guidance of the 

 manager, Mr. Cockbum, and witnessed the method of blasting the 

 rock to gain the Ironstone, the party returned to daylight and crossed 

 the fields to Saltbum Glen, or Gorge, celebrated for the great beauty 

 of its scenery. From thence the members walked to the beach and 

 examined the interesting cliff- sections, which were explained by Mr. 

 Wood. The dinner upon this occasion was given by the club in 

 honour of their esteemed president, the chair being occupied by Sir 



