128 CONGLOMERATES OF THE LOWER SEVERN BASIN. [Feb. 1 899. 



miglit fairly follow. The Author had proved that the breccias thicken 

 out and become coarser towards the south-south-east, and though, if 

 water had been the agent in their deposition, this would be the direc- 

 tion in which their source lay, the exact opposite might be the case 

 if they had been brought by ice, which frequently deposits its coarser 

 material in thicker masses towards its termination. Given an origin 

 towards the north and west, then the source of the Carboniferous 

 limestoae-fragments, which outweigh those of Silurian age, became 

 clear. 



Prof. Hull and Prof. Lapworth also spoke. 



The Author stated, in reply to Prof. Hull, that he had been 

 engaged in the investigation of the Permian rocks for 9 years, and 

 had dealt with the literature. It is inconsistent with Ramsay's 

 north-western theory that the materials are coarsest to the south- 

 east and. east. The pre-Cambrian fragments in the Permian breccia 

 do correspond with those on the Welsh Border, but in recent years 

 similar rocks have been found at the Lickey and Nuneaton, etc. to the 

 south and east. The post-Cambrian fragments agree wonderfully 

 well with those locally in situ, but differ from those that occur on 

 the Welsh Border. 



Prof. Hull had also referred to the alleged 'glacially' striated 

 fragments. Previous writers have stated that they are slickensides. 

 The Author had found that these slickensides occur inside and out- 

 side the fragments, and also on the matrix. Furthermore, the 

 rarity or abundance of these slickensides varies proportionately with 

 the amount of earth-movement to which each part of the breccia 

 has been subjected. Eamsay's own specimens actually support the 

 last-mentioned observation. 



