CiRC. No. 88. 



The geologists will be under the charge of Mr. R. H. Tiddeman, M.A., F.G.S., 

 Mr. J. W. Davis, F.S.A., F.G.S., &c. 



Mr. C. P. llobkirk, F.L.S., will lead the botanists and zoologists purposing to 

 investigate the immediate neighbourhood of Malham, including Malham Cove, 

 Gordale Scar, Janet's Force, &c. Distance to walk, about three miles. 



Good pedestrians desirous of investigating the natural history of Malham Tarn 

 and the neighbouring portions of the moorland will accompany Messrs. W. Denison 

 Roebuck, F.L.S., and Edgar R. Waite, F.L. S. Distance to walk about live miles. 

 The boats on the Tarn will be at the disposal of this party, for the jDurpose of 

 collecting the moUusca, &c. 



Messrs. J. Backhouse, junr., F.Z.S., C. Brownridge, F.G.S., Thomas Bunker, 

 W. Norwood Cheesman. J. Cordeaux, M.B.O.U., lohn Emmet, F.L.S., Rev. 

 E. P. Knubley, M.A , Rev. H. Annesley Powys, M.A., W. Denison Roebuck, 

 F.I..S., J. H. Rowntree, Edgar R. Waite, F.L.S., and other officers and members 

 of the Union will also take part in the excursion. 



All parties will return to the Buck Hotel for Tea at 4 p.m. 



Books and Maps. 



The district is all included in Sheet 60 (or 92 N.W. of old series), One-Inch 

 Ordnance Map, which is not published geologically coloured. For geological infor- 

 mation see Phillips' Mountain Limestone, and his Rivers, Mountains and Sea Coast, 

 Davis & Lees' West Yorkshire, the Handlwok for the Leeds meeting of the 

 British Association, &c. For Botany, see the Flora of West Yorkshire, and L. C. 

 Miall's valuable papers in the Naturalist for 1864-67 ; also Windsor's Flora Cravoni- 

 ensis, and Miall's Geology and Natural History of Craven (reprinted from 

 Whitaker's Craven). For Conchology, see Roebuck's paper in current number of 

 Naturalist. For Vertebrata, see Clarke & Roebuck's Handbook of Yorkshire Verte- 

 brata, and H. B. Booth on Malham Ornithology in current number of Naturalist. 



Physical Geography and Geology. 



Mr. J. W. Davis, F. S. A. , F. G.S. .writes : Thegreat Craven Fault exposed at Malham 

 and Gordale runs in a direction nearly E. and W. from Ingleton to Pateley Bridge. 

 P'rom Ingleton the line of fault makes a sweep round Austwick and Feizor and 

 thence along the magnificent escarpment of Giggleswick to Settle ; thence pro- 

 ceeding eastwards the grand series of scars at Attermire and Langcliffe, perhaps 

 the finest along the whole line of dislocation, extend towards Malham. The scars 

 to the north of the fault are composed of Mountain Limestone ; whilst southwards 

 the Yoredale Rocks and Millstone Grits form a series of rounded hills, which 

 extend far southwards. Where the interior of the rounded hills is exposed in 

 natural or artificial sections, the limestones and shales are found to be contorted 

 and bent on themselves, sometimes at very sharp angles. That so hard and brittle 

 a substance shoukl be thus folded, without being broken, indicates a long-continued 

 lateral pressure, and this being clearly due to the powerful action producing the 

 fault, it follows that the latter was the result of a force prolonged over an indefinite 

 period. From Langcliffe Scars the fault extends between the dry limestone hills of 

 Kirkby Fells on the north, and the wet boggy surface of the Millstone Grit of Rye- 

 loaf Hill, and thence to the valley of the Aire ; forming the highly interesting 

 escarpments of Malham Cove and Gordale Scar, the latter unequalled for wild 

 grandeur in the country. The limestone has been cut back by a stream descending 

 from the moorlands above, forming precipitous cliffs on each side, 300 feet in height. 

 Below the limestone at the foot of the gorge, Silurian Grits may be seen ; whilst 

 southwards the grits of the Carboniferous age flank the cliffs. From Gordale the 

 fault proceeds eastwards through Skirethorns. A northern branch of the fault 

 extends across Malham Moor, near the Tarn ; its exact line is much obscured by 

 drifts but there is a throw of several hundred feet. From Malham Tarn this branch 

 of the fault proceeds to Kilnsey, where striking evidence of the upheaval may be 

 seen in Kilnsey Crag. At the foot of Gigglewick Scar is the Ebbing and Flowing 

 Well and in Attermire Scar the Victoria Cave, the ancient habitat of the hyena and 

 bear, and more recently of man, is situated. The River Aire has its source in 

 several small streams which rise in the moorlands at the foot of Fountains Fell and 

 Hard Flask. The streams converge in Malham Tarn, and the water empties 

 from it in a river which runs about half a mile southwards, and then sinks through 

 a large opening in llie limestone pavement, filled to the surface with large rounded 

 blocks of stone. Nothing more is seen of the water until it emerges at the foot of 

 Malham Cove. It is recorded that the stream at one time tumbled over the face of 

 the Cove in a fine cataract. From the Cove the Aire passes through the village of 

 Malham and half a mile below is joined by the stream from Gordale. 



