232 MR. E. W. BINNEY ON THE 



break between the two; and any geologist who disposes 

 of two beds of 130 and 800 feet thickness should give 

 some evidence of their disappearance. In their characters 

 no doubt the two red sandstones are much alike; but 

 in the Collyhurst sandstone, after thirty years^ search, a 

 pebble of the size of a common pea has never been found 

 to my knowledge; however, in the lowest part of the 

 Fogbrook sandstone are some beds of breccia quite dif- 

 ferent from any thing ever seen in that part of the rock 

 at Collyhurst. If these beds had been found on the top 

 of the Collyhurst sandstone they would have been in their 

 place ; but at the bottom they are rather against than in 

 favour of the rock being Permian. Of course the occur- 

 rence of this bed anywhere is by no means conclusive as 

 to the age of the rock ; but when taken with the disap- 

 pearance of two such thick deposits as the Lower Mottled 

 Sandstone and the Permian marls, which have to be got 

 rid of by violent means, it no doubt has its value. 

 Whether the sandstone at Fogbrook is taken to be Trias 

 or Permian (and by mineralogical characters it is no doubt 

 difficult to decide), there is little doubt of its being the 

 same rock as that seen in the Tame at Beat-Bank Bridge 

 and in Capt. Fox^s shaft at Pollitt^s Farm, Brinnington. 



Mr. Hull has divided his red sandstones of the Bunter 

 by the pebble-beds in the middle, which he considers is 

 sufficient to distinguish them. This may be the case or 

 not. In the soft Permian sandstone at Collyhurst the 

 breccia or conglomerate beds are on the top, at other 

 places further north they are in the middle of the sand- 

 stone, and at Canobie, in Scotland, they are at the bottom. 

 I think it very probable that on further observation the 

 pebble-beds of the Bunter will be found to shift in a 

 similar manner. 



What is contended for is, that Mr. Hull should not 

 abandon his own classification when it suits his purpose 



