THE ESK DISTRICT. 



195 



inland we have the calcareous bed of the Lower Oolite over a 

 thick mass of its Lower Sandstones and Shales. From this 

 point southward the rise in the beds is sudden. Before Bay- 

 town is reached both the two lower sets of Liassic beds make 

 their appearance in the cliffs. They sweep round the slope of 

 the undulated hollow at the bottom of which the little town is 

 situated, overlaid along the shore-line at the bottom of the 

 hollow with banks of drift. The Peak cliffs, on the south side 

 of the bay, are the termination against the coast of the line of 

 high land which forms the ridge of watershed between Esk and 

 Derwent. They are 600 feet in altitude, and exhibit lower beds of 

 the Lias than are to be seen anywhere else in North Yorkshire. 



Interesting as it is in respect of scenery and geology, this 

 district is not rich botanically. Its hills are not high enough 

 to produce a large number of the Montane species. It has 

 only one thin bed of limestone amongst a thick mass of shales 

 and sandstones, and its Xerophilous plants are few in number 

 and rare. Its shore-line is guarded mostly by steep and 

 crumbling cliffs, upon which very few of the characteristically 

 Maritime species grow. It does not contain within its limits 

 any low-lying level country, and for the Rarer Ascending species 

 is considerably under the average of the districts. It is richest 

 in the ericetal and sylvestral flowering plants and mosses which 

 affect low hilly tracts. 



GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS OF THE FLORA OK THE ESK DISTRICT. 

 AREA 235 SQUARE MILKS. 



CATEGORY. 



Number of species. 



Per centage of 

 total native floia. 





20 

 18 

 33 

 19 



362 

 116 



\l 



22 



3 

 3 

 6 



3 

 63 

 21 



2 









5 (Jeneral Ascending Species 



6 .Scattered Ascending ,, 



7 Local Ascending ,, 



8 Colonists 





Total number of species ... 



642 





Jan. 18 



