12 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [Mav 28, 



The Caryocrinus exhibits? the first rudiments of these striae pass- 

 ing from one plate to another, which in several species are promi- 

 nent, forming a network which effectually conceals the intersection 

 of the plates, and deceives us as to their structure and arrangement. 

 It is these striae which are so often observable on the Marsupites of 

 the chalk, and it is very much to be desired that their nature and 

 use could be made out. 



3. On the relation of the New Red Sandstone to the Carboniferous 

 Strata in Lancashire and Cheshire. By E. W. Binney, Esq. 



Latterly much attention has been devoted by English geologists 

 in endeavouring to trace the upper boundary of the carboniferous 

 strata, and to show the connexion of the latter with the beds of the 

 overlying new red sandstone formation. This subject, although it 

 has often been treated upon, still possesses great interest, as by it 

 alone can we obtain certain information with regard to the probable 

 extent of our valuable coal-fields, all of which, on their dip, disap- 

 pear under the new red sandstone. 



At the Manchester meeting I had the pleasure of showing to some 

 of the members of the British Association an excavation exhibiting 

 the lower new red sandstone in contact with the coal-measures. In 

 the present paper it is my intention to describe all the similar sec- 

 tions that I have met with in the counties of Lancaster and Chester. 

 Before doing this, however, it will be desirable to give a general 

 sketch of both the new red sandstone and carboniferous groups on 

 the west of the penine chain. The new red sandstone formation 

 occupies nearly the whole of the county of Chester, and a con- 

 siderable portion of Lancashire. 



It may be conveniently divided into — 



Thickness. 

 Feet. 



1. Upper red marls, comprising (according to"j 

 Mr. Ormerod*) V unascertained 



a Red and variegated marls of J ,^^ Murchison's 



b. Gypseous and saliferous marls 800 > q, • 



c. Waterstones 440 ' ^"*^* 



2. Btmter sandstein (upper new red) proved"! gQQ 

 to be J 



3. Red and variegated marls, containing thini "j 

 beds of limestone, full of magnesian lime- > 210 Ipen an 

 stone fossils, maximum J j 



4. Lower new red sandstone, vi^xmrnvQ. 120 J 



The deposits marked a and 6, so far as they are yet known, have 

 been found to be conformable to each other, but there is reason for 

 believing that the latter deposit is not always conformable to the 

 underlying waterstones. The last-named beds also are conformable 

 to the upper new red sandstone, and can be seen at several places 



* Report of the Council of the Manchester Geological Society for 1842-1843. 



