116 ME. W. WICKHAM KING ON THE PERMIAN [Feb. 1 899, 



identify with B\ varies in thickness from 10 to 25 feet. It is 

 well developed as a conglomerate, but is sometimes a calcareous 

 sandstone. Many of the pebbles are 3 to 4 inches long, and some 

 measure SJ inches. The succeeding beds (B") are mostly marls. 



The second calcareous bed (C^) is from 20 to 25 feet thick, is ex- 

 ceedingly well developed as a conglomerate, and contains the largest 

 fragments known to occur in Middle Permian calcareous zones of 

 the Lower Severn basin. One — a subangular block — is 21 inches 

 long, pebbles from 6 to 8 inches in length are common, and very many 

 measure 5 inches. They are thickly interspersed in an extremely 

 hard calcareous matrix. 



The marls and sandstones (C^) make no conspicuous show upon 

 the ground. Sandstones are well developed in this band at Brand 

 Hall. 



(ii) The Hands worth area. — The Great "Western Eailway 

 Company are now widening a deep cutting | mile west of Hands- 

 worth station. This work has laid bare the Upper Permian, with the 

 following Permian strata below it : — 



Feet. 



f r Fine calcareous conglomerate 4 



ni 1 Slightly calcareous red sandstone 15 



-j^ I [ Fine calcareous conglomerate 5 



vinmLi'^^'' l^ed sandBtone 20 



I B^ Massive calcareous conglomerate 12 



I A^ Soft red sandstone, with some marl intermixed 100? 



^A^ More or less calcareous sandstone 10 



Thickness of Middle Permian 166 



(Lower Permian marls, with one thin bed of sandstone.) ^^ 



The thickness of A^ is doubtful, as there may be a small fault 

 between A^ and A^ : the actual thickness of A^ exposed is 20 feet. 

 In B^ I found one pebble 8 inches long, and many 3 inches : they 

 are far larger than in C\ In the lower layer of conglomerate 

 belonging to C^ one pebble is 3 inches long, and many 1 inch. 

 The upper layer of conglomerate belonging to C^ is a very fine 

 gravel, the fragments seldom attaining a length of 1 infh. 



In Sandwell Park, Handsworth, there is a thick calcareous sand- 

 stone with a cornstone at the base, containing a few very small 

 (1 inch) fragments. It may be seen in the rifle-pits there. 



(iii) In the Barr area a calcareous conglomerate about 15 feet 

 thick crops out. The pebbles here are more rounded and much 

 smaller (7 inches long being the maximum, and as a rule they do not 

 exceed 3 inches) than in the Warley area. 



The Upper Permian, Northfield. — Strictly speaking, it may 

 be said that the Northfield breccia is in the Clent Hills district, but 

 it lies east of the central area of the South Staffordshire coalfield, 

 and I therefore regard it as properly belonging to the north-easterly 



