7 o 



Geological Section. 



[Proc. B.N.F.O. 



"THE DERBYSHIRE TOADSTONES." 



A meeting of above Section was held in the Museum, College 

 Square North, on Wednesday evening, 15th January, to hear a 

 paper read on above subject by Miss M. K. Andrews, of which 

 the following is an abstract. In giving a short account of the 

 Derbyshire Toadstones, Miss Andrews drew attention to the 

 minute and accurate description of these rocks given by John 

 Whitehurst in 1778. While the controversy between the 

 Vulcanists and Neptunists was beginning on the Continent, 

 Whitehurst published his " Inquiry into the original state and 

 formation of the Earth, deduced from facts and the Laws of 

 Nature," in which for the first time the volcanic origin of the 

 toadstone is recognised. 



He describes it as a blackish substance, very hard, containing 

 bladder holes like the scoria of metals or Iceland lava, and asserts 

 that there is " no room to doubt of its being as much a lava as 

 that which flows from Hecla, Vesuvius, or y£tna." 



He evidently regarded it as intrusive, for he points out that it 

 is lava that " flowed from a volcano whose funnel or shaft did not 

 approach the open air, but disgorged its fiery contents between 

 the strata in all directions." 



Whitehurst showed specimens to Faujas de St. Fond, the 

 author of a description of the Volcanoes of Vivarais and Velay, 

 but although Faujas noted the resemblance of the toadstones to 

 true lavas, he yet refused to allow that they had any connection 

 with volcanic action. 



Whitehurst also sent specimens to Dr. Withering, who made 

 an analysis of the toadstone, which was read before the Royal 

 Society on May 10th, 1782. 



