The Levenshulme Limestones. 285 



by joints and cross-fractures into roughly cubical blocks, 

 and these joints are also filled with green sand. The 

 inclination •of the beds is about 36° west, 20° south, and the 

 bedding assumed a very strong curve southwards across 

 the railway excavation, probably on account of the fault 

 which is seen near Slade Lane and which has tilted the lime- 

 stones at that point. There are many pockets of green sands in 

 these beds. These and the green partings frequently contain 

 geodes of crystals of calcareous spar. A diligent search was 

 made for fossils, both in the beds, and from the material loaded 

 into trucks as the excavations proceeded, but none were 

 found It is probable that the conditions under which these 

 brecciated beds were formed were unfavourable to shell 

 life, and that no fossils except the coprolites are likely to be 

 found in them. These, however, furnish abundant evidence 

 of animal life, possibly amphibian. These coprolites were 

 very abundant throughout the marl. The brecciated marls 

 are altogether 72 feet in vertical thickness, and they rest 

 upon the uppermost limestones, which are reached under 

 Slade Lane bridge. These limestones are very flaglike, 

 being quite evenly bedded, and varying in thickness from 

 I in. to 6 in. The slab faces are always covered with 

 greenish laminated shale, which splits off in thin wafers on 

 exposure to the atmosphere, and yields beautiful bright 

 red fish scales and many small spines, always stained with 

 hematite. The jointings in the limestone are frequently 

 marked by beautiful dendritic and "fernlike" crystals, 

 probably manganese, which always commence at the 

 natural edge (jointing) of the slab. The cracks in the 

 limestones are frequently filled with orange-coloured calc- 

 spar, probably stained by hematite. It also sometimes 

 occurs in cavities, and in bright orange spots in limestone. 

 The same colouring matter has also probably given the 

 grey limestone its pinkish tinge of colour. The fractures 

 of this group of limestones — or marbles they might be 



