TJie Whitehaven Limestones. 419 



These limestones were not expected, and it was feared 

 that the coal-bearing strata had been passed, and that 

 here were the lower carboniferous limestones, such as 

 occurred at Aldby and Hensingham, in the immediate 

 neighbourhood ; and the bore-hole was stopped accordingly. 

 At this point of the operations samples of the limestones 

 were forwarded to me, and I at once found them to be 

 Spirorbis limestones, such as have recently been found at 

 Levenshulme in the Upper Coal Measures, just below the 

 Permian strata. This was reported to my Whitehaven 

 friends on November 1 8th, 1 890. I stated in my letter that 

 I believed the upper portion of the section to be Permian, 

 and the two limestones to be Spirorbis limestones of the 

 Upper Coal Measures, and I advised that the boring should 

 be proceeded with, as coal would probably be reached at 

 a moderate depth. This course was adopted, and coal 

 was reached at a depth of 297ft. 8in., and again at 

 317ft and 407ft, all thin seams, but in true Upper Coal 

 Measures. At 477ft. loin. a very hard grit was reached, 

 at 542ft. red conglomerate, and the bore-hole is now 

 stopped in conglomerates and hard sandstones at 573ft. 3in., 

 the bed being a fine hard grit like the first grit looft. 

 above it. These I take to be the Whitehaven sand- 

 stones. 



Now there are some very interesting points arising 

 out of the above recital, which I wish to lay before 

 the Society very briefly, reserving a full description 

 for a future paper, when the boring is completed and the 

 cores of the upper portion reach me. Cores of the lowest 

 borings are now exhibited to show their resemblance to 

 the Whitehaven sandstones. The section undoubtedly 

 represents the Upper Coal Measure series ; (probably) 

 commencing with the Permians, and continuing down to 

 the sandstones and conglomerates, which. I take to be the 

 same as the Whitehaven sandstones which Prof. Sedgwick 



