Vol. 68.] IN THE ' PERMIAN ' ROCKS OF HAMSTRAD, 681 



Conclusion. — Combining all the palaeont-ological evidence 

 hitherto obtained, namel}^ that afforded by the species and varieties 

 of the plants, and that afforded by the species and varieties of the 

 animals, I hold that it may be safely inferred that the Hamstead- 

 Quarry Series is the representative in geological time of a part 

 of the Rothliegende of Germany and its equivalents in other 

 countries — that is to say, the Hamstead-Quarry Series must in 

 future be definitely regarded as of Lower Permian age. As this 

 Quarry Series includes the upper part of Mr. Wickham King's 

 Middle Permian, namely his Conglomerate and Sandstone Group, 

 it appears probable that the whole of this group may be of true 

 Lower Permian age. 



I have to thank Prof. Lapworth for continued encouragement 

 during the whole of this research. 



Discussion on the two foregoing Papers. 



Prof. C. Lapworth wrote : — 



' I consider the Geological Society to be exceedingly fortunate in having 

 before its members on the same evening two papers, both of which have a most 

 important bearing upon the vexed and difficult question of the true limits 

 of the so-called "Permian" red rocks of tbe Midlands. Both in the South 

 Staffordshire area dealt with in Mr. Hardaker's paper, and in the Warwick- 

 shire area covered more or less bj Mr. Vernon in his paper, the so-called 

 " Permian " rocks apparently graduate upwards conlormably from undoubted 

 Carboniferous deposits with highl}^ profitable coal-seams. The discoveries of 

 Mr. Cantrill in the west, and Dr. Gibson in the north, prove that Upper Coal- 

 Measure conditions continued at all events into the lower divisions of these 

 red rocks, and even in composition and coloration the Midland Permian has 

 much in common lithologically with the true Upper Coal Measures ; while, as 

 Dr. Kidston and Mr. Meachem have shown, the lowest members of the so- 

 called " Midland Permian " afford fossils which are distinctly of the type of 

 those of the Upper Coal Measures. 



' Now that Mr. Hardaker has so successfully worked out, almost bed by bed, 

 a complete descending succession of strata from his highest Permian zone 

 down into the Thick Coal-seam of South Staffordshire ; and that the various 

 recent borings in search of coal through Warwickshire have made known the 

 descending succession, almost bed by bed, from the higher zones of the so-called 

 ' Permian '' of Warwickshire down into the Hawkesbury Thick Coal and ita 

 equivalents: it is plain that (if Mr. Hardaker's identification of the fossils 

 discovered by him in the hitherto barren Midland Permian is eventually 

 confirmed by palagontologists) British geologists may now for the fircst time 

 feel some assurance that the solution of the chief of the Permian problems of 

 the Midlands is almost within sight, and may anticipate that such a solution 

 will have the usual effect of justifying and at the same time harmonizing 

 the differing views of previous observers.' 



Dr. Walcot Gibson remarked that, as several borings and 

 sinkings for coal through the red rocks of Warwickshire were 

 in progress, the very interesting results obtained by the Authors 

 of these two papers should stimulate local geologists to obtaiii 

 further evidence on an important and hitherto unsolved probleai. 

 The 'Lower Permian ' of Prof. Hull and Mr. Wickham King was 



Q,. J. G. S. No. 272. 3 c 



