﻿398 
  J. 
  G. 
  GOODCHILD 
  ON 
  THE 
  CARBONIFEROUS 
  CONGLOMERATES 
  

  

  that 
  there 
  would 
  be 
  little, 
  if 
  any, 
  noticeable 
  difference, 
  except 
  that 
  

   of 
  colour, 
  between 
  these 
  beds 
  and 
  the 
  rocks 
  below 
  the 
  Melmerby- 
  

   Scar 
  limestone 
  at 
  the 
  eastern 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  Cross-Fell 
  escarpment. 
  

  

  The 
  conglomerate 
  series 
  next 
  in 
  order, 
  notwithstanding 
  its 
  super- 
  

   ficial 
  resemblance 
  in 
  lithological 
  character 
  to 
  the 
  conglomerates 
  of 
  

   the 
  basement-series, 
  as 
  seen 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  Ullswater, 
  is 
  distinguished 
  

   from 
  them 
  by 
  its 
  including 
  thin 
  beds 
  of 
  limestone 
  ; 
  and 
  we 
  should 
  

   probably 
  not 
  err 
  in 
  referring 
  this 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  series 
  to 
  beds 
  about 
  the 
  

   horizon 
  of 
  the 
  Ash-Fell 
  beds 
  " 
  b." 
  

  

  The 
  mass 
  of 
  grey 
  limestone 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  conglomerates 
  lie 
  occu- 
  

   pies 
  the 
  relative 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  limestone 
  group 
  " 
  c," 
  beneath 
  the 
  

   Ash-Fell 
  beds, 
  and 
  probably 
  is 
  wholly 
  or 
  in 
  part 
  identical 
  with 
  it. 
  

  

  The 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  series 
  is 
  not 
  clearly 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  typical 
  section 
  in 
  

   the 
  escarpment 
  ; 
  but, 
  as 
  in 
  an 
  adjoining 
  section 
  the 
  conglomerates 
  

   are 
  clearly 
  seen 
  to 
  be 
  at 
  no 
  great 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  floor 
  of 
  Silurian 
  

   rocks 
  upon 
  which 
  the 
  Carboniferous 
  beds 
  lie, 
  there 
  cannot 
  be 
  any 
  

   great 
  thickness 
  of 
  this 
  lower 
  limestone. 
  

  

  Perhaps 
  the 
  only 
  other 
  distinction 
  of 
  any 
  note 
  between 
  the 
  beds 
  

   seen 
  in 
  the 
  escarpment 
  and 
  those 
  along 
  their 
  southern 
  outcrop 
  about 
  

   Ash 
  Fell 
  lies 
  in 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  very 
  well-marked 
  red 
  tint 
  which 
  

   is 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  Ash-Fell 
  sandstones 
  is 
  nearly 
  or 
  quite 
  absent 
  in 
  the 
  

   beds 
  under 
  the 
  Melmerby-Scar 
  limestone. 
  

  

  But 
  as 
  other 
  sandstones 
  higher 
  in 
  the 
  series, 
  which 
  are 
  red 
  on 
  the 
  

   downthrown 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  faults, 
  are 
  clearly 
  seen 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  their 
  

   natural 
  colour 
  on 
  the 
  upthrown 
  side, 
  it 
  is 
  inferred 
  that 
  the 
  staining 
  

   is 
  due 
  to 
  Permian 
  influence 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  mere 
  absence 
  of 
  the 
  red 
  tint 
  is 
  

   therefore 
  not 
  a 
  distinction 
  of 
  any 
  value. 
  

  

  In 
  my 
  opinion 
  this 
  marked 
  absence 
  of 
  staining 
  in 
  the 
  Carboniferous 
  

   beds 
  on 
  the 
  escarpment 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  lines 
  of 
  disturbance 
  is 
  due 
  

   to 
  a 
  considerable 
  upheaval 
  in 
  late 
  geological 
  times, 
  the 
  plain 
  upon 
  

   which 
  the 
  Permian 
  rocks 
  once 
  rested 
  being 
  now 
  only 
  in 
  part 
  repre- 
  

   sented 
  by 
  the 
  tops 
  of 
  the 
  highest 
  fells 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  

   Pennine 
  faults. 
  

  

  Perhaps 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  place 
  along 
  the 
  Cross-Fell 
  escarpment 
  where 
  

   this 
  group 
  of 
  sandstones 
  and 
  conglomerates 
  can 
  be 
  so 
  well 
  examined, 
  

   and 
  its 
  relation 
  to 
  the 
  beds 
  above 
  and 
  below 
  so 
  clearly 
  made 
  out, 
  as 
  

   on 
  Roman 
  Fell 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  scars 
  to 
  the 
  south-east 
  of 
  it. 
  

  

  Along 
  other 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  escarpment, 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  slopes 
  

   along 
  which 
  these 
  beds 
  mostly 
  occur 
  is 
  obscured 
  by 
  drift 
  and 
  by 
  

   fallen 
  blocks 
  from 
  the 
  scars 
  above. 
  

  

  It 
  will 
  therefore 
  be 
  convenient 
  to 
  speak 
  of 
  the 
  whole 
  series 
  be- 
  

   tween 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  Melmerby-Scar 
  limestone 
  and 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  

   lowest 
  thick 
  limestone 
  as 
  the 
  Roman-Fell 
  beds. 
  

  

  This 
  group 
  will 
  therefore 
  include 
  not 
  only 
  the 
  supposed 
  repre- 
  

   sentatives 
  of 
  the 
  Ash-Fell 
  beds 
  " 
  b," 
  but 
  also 
  the 
  lower 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   Limestone 
  series, 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  letter 
  " 
  a 
  " 
  in 
  the 
  diagram 
  section 
  

   at 
  Ash 
  FeU 
  (fig. 
  1). 
  

  

  In 
  following 
  the 
  outcrop 
  of 
  the 
  Roman-Fell 
  beds 
  towards 
  Cum- 
  

   berland, 
  the 
  conglomeratic 
  beds 
  from 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  group 
  down- 
  

   wards 
  are 
  found 
  to 
  increase 
  much 
  in 
  thickness, 
  and 
  the 
  included 
  

  

  