Rev. J. Clifton Ward — Geology of the Lake District. 61 



were being deposited in the border-area under ordinary Carboniferous 

 climatal conditions ; or (2) that the Conglomerate was deposited 

 when glacial conditions prevailed, and that a long period elapsed 

 between its formation and that of the true Limestone Series, during 

 which period the Lower Carboniferous of the border-land and of 

 Scotland was formed under warmer conditions. Now against this 

 latter supposition is the fact that there are often indications of a true 

 conformable junction between the upper part of the basement-beds 

 and the overlying limestones ; therefore, if there is no break 

 between the Basement Conglomei'ate and the Limestone series, and 

 no break between the Lower Carboniferous Calciferous Sandstone 

 series and the same Limestone series, the Conglomerate and the 

 Calciferous Sandstone series must be considered as more or less 

 contemporaneous formations, and the doubtful glacial indications 

 among the Conglomerate are negatived by the general Carboniferous 

 facies of the climate indicated among the Calciferous Sandstone 

 series. 



All that has now been said about the origin and formation of the 

 Mell Fell Conglomerate inclines me to think that, at all events 

 during the early part of the Carboniferous Period, there must have 

 been a land-nucleus, a Cumbria in embryo ; but whether this early 

 centre was or was not covered over during the later part of the Car- 

 boniferous Period by deposits of limestones, sandstones, and shales, 

 is one which must be left open. Certainly, the general absence from 

 the limestone series immediately surrounding the district of material 

 such as would have been derived from a tract of land formed of the 

 Lower Silurian rocks, is in favour of a complete submergence during 

 the latter half of the Carboniferous Period. Surely, if the present 

 outcrop of the limestones, etc., immediately around the Lake Dis- 

 trict, be not far removed from their termination along a shore-line, 

 one would expect, at any rate, to find water- worn debris won from 

 the hard rocks of the Volcanic Series. May we not, therefore, rather 

 believe that after the great elevation and denudation of the Silurians 

 of the district which took place in Old Eed times proper, the 

 Mell Fell Conglomerate was formed at the mouth of an inlet or 

 strait running into or through the northern portion of the early land, 

 and that subsequently that early land was wholly or almost wholly 

 covered up by Carboniferous deposits as it once more slowly sank 

 beneath the waters of the sea. The close of the Carboniferous Period 

 was probably marked by an upward movement over the area of the 

 present Lake District, a movement during which the denuding 

 powers must have largely stripped off the outer Carboniferous skin, 

 laying the old Silurian nucleus bare, never again to be covered up 

 by unconformable measures. This elevatory movement was probably 

 coincident with that great east and west one forming the Pendle 

 Anticlinal. 



{To be Continued.) 



