390 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETr. [_^^^J 8, 



various angles. The upper side of a stone (as it lies in the clay) is 

 quite as often flattened and scratched as the under, so far at least 

 as I had an opportunity of observing. The longer axes of the 

 stones are not in parallel lines ; and stones and large boulders may 

 often be seen glaciated, not only lengthwise but in a directly or 

 obliquely transverse direction. On the whole the stones in the 

 lower clay of Cheshire are less uniforroly striated than in the upper 

 or brick-clay. 



The lower clay in the Dawpool section (and, I believe, in most 

 places) contains a considerably larger proportion of local materials 

 than the upper. Among the small stones may be found much local 

 Triassic sandstone, marl, gypsum*, &c. ; and the matrix in some 

 places resembles so-called marl. The character of the erratics in the 

 lower clay is likewise to a great extent peculiar. For instance, it 

 is here full of decomposing greenstone, while little if any of this 

 rock is found in the clay above f. The proportion of large boulders 

 in the lower is much greater than in the upper clay ; and it is 

 worthy of remark that these boulders, owing to their consisting of 

 rock which, in situ, breaks up into large blocks, would give a very 

 different relative percentage from that which would result from a 

 classification of the smaller stones. Instead, therefore, of attempt- 

 ing any such classification, I counted the number of large boulders 

 of difi'erent kinds of rock at a spot where many had been collected 

 from the beach, to facilitate a passage from the base to the top of 

 the cliff-line ; and the following is the result : — 



Number of 

 Boulders. 



Greenstone 48 



CriffeU granite „ 28 



Felstone 16 



Felspathic breccia 11 



Felspathic porphyry 10 



Eskdale granite 10 



Upper Silurian grit 2 



Among the smaller stones Silurian grit and argillite predominate. 

 In addition to these rocks there are several kinds of granite of un- 

 known parentage, Ennerdale (and Wastdale ?) syenite, vein-quartz, 

 carboniferous limestone, numerous chalk-flints §, &c. &c. 



* The fragments of gypsum are often attached to bits of hard marl or shale, 

 thereby proving that they have been transported, and not formed by chemical 

 action in the clay. Some of them are striated. 



t I do not recollect seeing any of this greenstone in drift to the west of the 

 Duddon, and am at a loss to ascertain its parentage. The zone it occupies in 

 ■ Cheshire (and, I believe, Lancashire) is narrow from E. to W., if we except a 

 few stray fragments. 



I The fellows of these boulders may be seen scattered along the beach to some 

 distance beyond Dawpool Cottage, and S.E. as far as Parkgate. 



§ I sent a specimen of these flints to Professor Eamsay, who pronounced 

 it to be a true chalk-flint, and stated that they are likewise common at 

 Aberystwyth. c 



