16 W. Molyneux — Copper and Lead Ores in the Bunter. 



Irish. Sea and its tributary river-systems, and only left in the shelter 

 of caves to which it could have no direct access. Brown bear, horse, 

 red deer, reindeer, megaceros, the more modern bovidas, and other 

 more recent forms are not uncommon in the Post-glacial beds ; but 

 the older cave mammals seem conspicuous only by their absence.^ 



V. — On the Occurrence of Copper and Lead Ores in the Bunter 



Conglomerates of Cannock Chase.^ 



By "William Molyketjx, F.G.S. 



THE district known as Cannock Chase is, at th.e present moment, 

 the scene of a series of extensive mining operations which, if 

 even moderately successful, will open up a very considerable area of 

 valuable coal-seams, computed at not less than 200,000,000 tons, 

 and push outwards a distance of upwards of five miles the nothern 

 apex of the South Staffordshire Coal-field. This apex, as is well 

 known, now rests on Brereton, where the Coal-measures are thrown 

 down on the east by a fault of considerable range and influence, and 

 on the west they are overlapped unconformably by Bunter con- 

 glomerates. From this point the conglomerates are continued in a 

 broad unbroken tract over the Chase to within about four miles of 

 the town of Stafford, up to which point the mining investigations, 

 to which I have alluded, will be extended, 



A little south of Brereton, in the Old Park at Beaudesert, some 

 of the shallow coals, known as the Old Park coals, and also some 

 bands of ironstone, were worked upwards of 300 years ago, and in 

 all probability, judging, not only from the authenticated condition 

 and value of the works in the time of Edward VI., but also from 

 the size and age of numbers of oak trees which now stand on the 

 old pit banks, both the coals and ironstone were worked even 

 hundreds of years previously. And it is interesting to note, in 

 connexion with these old coal workings, that until the year 1852 they 

 represented a distinct and isolated coal area, no coals having been 

 up to that time worked within a distance of four miles, although, 

 geologically, there is no severance of the coal-seams of the Old Park 

 and those of the other portions of the field situated to the south and 

 west. 



The Cannock Mineral Eailway from Cannock to Eugeley occupies 

 a valley which runs nearly north and south, and unquestionably 

 marks a line of fault of considerable importance. This fault is laid 

 down in the maps of the Geological Survey, and has long been held 

 as determining the western boundary line of the workable coal 

 seams of South Staffordshire. West of this valley, from a point 

 a little south of the town of Cannock, as far as Brocton and Milford> 

 ranges the old surface area of a large portion of Cannock Chase, the 

 greater part of which is at the present time in a state of nature. 



1 I am pleased to find in a Settle Caves Exploration " prospectus," just issued with 

 a view to collecting subscriptions, Mr. Boyd JJawkins has adopted my views on these 

 important questions. 



* Read before the British Association, Brighton, August, 1872. 



