550 T. Mellard Reade—On the Lower Trias. 
other than marine action for an explanation of its characteristic 
features. The late Mr. Godwin-Austen was of opinion that the whole 
of the Triassic rocks were laid down in freshwater lakes which, 
passing through the brackish stage, become finally saturated with 
saline matter through evaporation exceeding the inflow of fresh 
water. It has been felt, however, by other geologists, that this 
theory, while accounting fairly well for the upper deposits of the 
Triassic age, does not fit in with the phenomena of current bedding, 
the presence and distribution of the numerous quartzite and other 
well-rounded pebbles, and the comparative absence of marl-beds, 
which distinguish the Lower Trias or Bunter Sandstones. 
Hence some well-qualified observers, following Professor Bonney,' 
prefer to consider that the mass of the sandstones have been laid 
down by rivers and point to Central Asia, as a region where the 
same accumulations are now taking place. The late Mr. John 
Arthur Phillips suggested that much of the sandstone displaying the 
well-rounded or “ millet-seed”’ grain, supposed to be the distinguish- 
ing characteristic of the upper and lower beds or divisions of the 
Bunter Sandstone, was accumulated by wind action, it being main- 
tained that the individual grains could not have been worn to so 
spherical a form by any other agent.? A combination of these two 
views seems to constitute the prevailing if not the finally accepted 
theory of the origin of a large proportion of the dpiasste Sandstones 
of Britain. 
My attention, which has for a long time been Bet by these 
interesting speculations, was some time since more specifically 
directed to the subject. Having for engineering and other purposes 
to examine considerable areas of the Triassic deposits of the North- 
west of England, the opportunity of further prosecuting the inquiry 
was eagerly seized. 
The Triassic and immediately overlying and underlying rocks 
of the North-west of England and the Midland Counties * were for 
the purposes of the Geological Survey classified by Professor Hull 
as follows: 
Al. Rheetic or Penarth beds occurring at Copt Heath and the South-west of 
England. 
A2, New Red Marl. Red and Grey shales, and marls sometimes micaceous, 
with beds of rock salt and gypsum containing Estheria and Foraminifera 
(Chellaston), 
A3. Lower Keuper Sandstone. Thinly laminated micaceous sandstones and 
marls (waterstones) ; passing downwards into white, brown or reddish 
sandstone, with a base of calcareous conglomerate or breccia. 
Cl. Upper Mottled Sandstone. Soft bright-red and variegated sandstone 
(without pebbles). 
C2. Pebble Beds. Harder reddish-brown sandstone with quartzose pebbles, 
passing into conglomerate with a base of calcareous breccia. 
C3, Lower Mottled Sandstone. Soft bright-red and variegated sandstone 
(without pebbles). 
Triassic SERIES. 
1 Presidential Address, Geological Section of British Association, 1886. 
2 On the Constitution and History of Grits and Sandstones, Q.J.G.S. 1881, p. 27. 
3 Triassic and Permian Rocks of the Midland Counties of England, Memoirs of 
the Geol. Survey, 1869, p. 10. 
