CiRC. 137 



PERMISSION to visit their estates, quarries, works, etc., is granted by the 

 Mayor and Corporation of Doncaster, Lord Auckland, Sir W. H. Cooke, Mrs. G. 

 Wright, Mr. Browne, The Great Central Railway Co., The Balby Brick Co., and 

 Messrs. Cockin, Gibson, Fox, Beastall, and Senior. 



ON SATURDAY EVENING, 28th May, an Informal Meeting, and 

 Exhibition of Objects of Local Scientific Interest, will be held at The 

 Glyn Hotel, 



GEOLOGY. — The Geological Section will be officially represented by its 

 Secretaries, Messrs. J. W. Stather and J. H. Howarth, and by the President of the 

 Boulder Committee, Mr. P. F. Kendall. 



The district to be investigated is for the most part on the Banter Sandstone, 

 which is capped by Post Glacial Gravel and Boulder Clay. The Upper Magnesian 

 Limestone, capped by Boulder Clay, is exposed by the side of the Great Central 

 Line between Doncaster and Conisborough. 



The high-road from Doncaster to Balby follows the crest of a long low hill 

 of Banter Sandstone, that serves as the dividing line of the Don and Trent water- 

 sheds. Immediately upon leaving Doncaster, at Balby Bridge on the left side of 

 the road, the sandstone has been extensively quarried, and an interesting section is 

 exposed, which from below upwards is roughly as follows : Red Sandstone, White 

 Calcareous Sandstone, Red Marl with wave-worn surface, While Calcareous Sand- 

 stone, Red Sandstone, with partings and isolated patches of Marl, Gravel. The 

 gravel is composed of various sized stones, from i-ft. downwards ; the great 

 majority are Carboniferous, with a considerable number of Quartzites and Cherts. 

 About i^ miles from Doncaster is another large quarry in the Bunter, with a great 

 deposit of gravel on top. The Bunter here contains a thin gravel bed, composed 

 of Grits, Canisters, Quartzites, and Conglomerates. The sand is beautifully ripple- 

 marked. The over-lying gravels are strongly current-bedded, dipping towards the 

 Trent watershed. They are composed of similar pebbles to those at the Balby 

 Bridge quarry, but contain a larger number of Cherts. About a quarter of a mile 

 to the west of this quarry, the Upper Magnesian Limestone has been exposed at 

 the side of the Great Central Line in removing 'ballast.' The surface of the 

 limestone forms a remarkable series of domes. The deposit above the limestone 

 consists of soft sandy clay, with numerous large boulders of Mountain Limestone, 

 Millstone grit. Canister, and Magnesian Limestone. The boulders are not 

 striated. About half a mile south-west of this point is another quarry, showing 

 Banter capped with Boulder Clay. Here two erratics have been found — a Shap 

 Granite and a Volcanic Agglomerate. This is the first point at which the Balby 

 Boulder Clay is seen, and about a quarter of a mile in a southerly direction on the 

 right side of the Worksop Road are three brick manufactories, where fine sections " 

 are to be seen. The clay here is a tough purplish coloured till, with very numerous 

 boulders. These latter vary in size from stones of several tons weight downwards ; 

 many of them are strongly striated. They consist for the most part of Coal- Measure 

 Rocks, together with a great number of Magnesian Limestones, Poikilitic Marls, 

 Gypsums, Mountain Limestones, Yoredale Limestones, and a very small per- 

 centage of Lake District Erratics. The Till has a maximum thickness of about 

 35 feet, and rests upon the Bunter. About 18 feet from the top is a well-marked 

 parting of coarse sand with fragments of coal. A second sand-parting is exposed 

 about 30 feet down. 



BOTANY.— 



Flo-wering Plants and Ferns. — Mr. H. H. Corbett furnishes the following 

 report for the district to be investigated : — West Moor is a portion of the old fen 

 country that formerly occupied much of the lower lands of the Don and Trent 

 watersheds. It is now entirely under cultivation, but remnants of the old flora 

 linger in the numerous ditches. Among other species to be found are Kanimculus 

 lingtia, Eupatoriun camiabinum, Hydrocharis morsus-raniE, Hottonia palustris, 

 and several interesting species of Potaiiwgeton, Carex, etc. The moor is surrounded 

 by somewhat steep banks of gravel, capping the Bunter Sandstone. Here may be 

 found Draba verna, Teesdalia Jiicdicaulis, Geranium dissectiim, Potaitilla argentea, 

 Senecio sylvaticiis, etc. These and many other psammophilous species will be 

 found throughout the gravelly and sandy district from West Moor, through Arm- 



