﻿1864.] 
  MTJRCHISON 
  AXD 
  HARKXESS 
  PERMIAN. 
  155 
  

  

  tion 
  of 
  the 
  Hilton 
  series 
  indicate, 
  therefore, 
  an 
  absolute 
  identity 
  in 
  

   fossil 
  remains 
  with 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  Magnesian 
  Limestone, 
  or 
  Zech- 
  

   stein, 
  and 
  even 
  in 
  lithological 
  nature 
  these 
  strata 
  nearly 
  approxi- 
  

   mate 
  to 
  the 
  marl-slates 
  of 
  the 
  county 
  of 
  Durham. 
  

  

  The 
  plant-bearing 
  strata 
  of 
  Hilton-beck 
  are 
  succeeded 
  upwards 
  

   by 
  thin-bedded 
  sandstones 
  with 
  impure 
  limestones 
  and 
  shales, 
  the 
  

   highest 
  member 
  being 
  red 
  clays, 
  having 
  the 
  ordinary 
  aspect 
  of 
  the 
  

   more 
  common 
  representative 
  of 
  the 
  Middle 
  Permian 
  strata 
  of 
  the 
  

   north-west 
  of 
  England. 
  As 
  the 
  country 
  is 
  much 
  covered 
  by 
  drift 
  and 
  

   only 
  laid 
  open 
  by 
  ravines 
  at 
  intervals, 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  expected 
  that 
  

   we 
  should 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  follow 
  out 
  these 
  few 
  feet 
  of 
  plant-bearing 
  beds 
  

   upon 
  the 
  strike 
  to 
  the 
  north 
  or 
  south, 
  and, 
  in 
  truth, 
  no 
  clear 
  evidence 
  

   of 
  their 
  occurrence 
  has 
  yet 
  been 
  detected 
  except 
  by 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  

   Hilton 
  -beck. 
  

  

  b. 
  Barrowmouth, 
  near 
  Whitehaven. 
  — 
  Beyond 
  the 
  Yale 
  of 
  the 
  

   Eden 
  and 
  the 
  Cumberland 
  Plain 
  we 
  have 
  the 
  Middle 
  Permian 
  rocks 
  

   more 
  distinctly 
  exhibited 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  a 
  true 
  yellowish 
  sandy 
  

   magnesian 
  limestone 
  at 
  Barrowmouth, 
  under 
  St. 
  Bees 
  Head, 
  than 
  in 
  

   any 
  other 
  locality 
  in 
  the 
  north-west 
  of 
  England, 
  and 
  in 
  them 
  are 
  

   typical 
  fossil 
  Shells. 
  These 
  strata 
  have 
  been 
  described 
  by 
  Professor 
  

   Sedgwick* 
  and 
  Mr. 
  Binneyf. 
  The 
  latter 
  geologist 
  gives 
  the 
  section 
  

   of 
  the 
  rocks 
  as 
  seen 
  here 
  in 
  detail, 
  and 
  points 
  out 
  the 
  occurrence 
  of 
  

   fossil 
  Shells 
  in 
  the 
  magnesian 
  limestone 
  in 
  the 
  state 
  of 
  casts. 
  This 
  

   limestone 
  is 
  described 
  by 
  Prof. 
  Sedgwick 
  as 
  running 
  S.S.E. 
  to 
  Ben 
  

   How 
  quarry, 
  about 
  a 
  mile 
  from 
  Barrowmouth. 
  We 
  traced 
  it 
  still 
  

   further. 
  It 
  is 
  seen 
  in 
  Demain-gill, 
  where 
  it 
  was 
  formerly 
  worked, 
  

   and 
  also 
  in 
  Chambers 
  Bodell 
  Wood, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  about 
  seven 
  yards 
  

   in 
  thickness, 
  and 
  overlain 
  conformably 
  by 
  red 
  shales. 
  This 
  lime- 
  

   stone 
  changes 
  greatly 
  in 
  colour, 
  being 
  yellow 
  at 
  Barrowmouth. 
  At 
  

   Preston 
  How 
  quarry, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  worked 
  for 
  road-metal, 
  its 
  colour 
  

   is 
  grey, 
  with 
  purple 
  spots. 
  At 
  Demain-gill 
  it 
  is 
  still 
  darker, 
  and 
  is 
  

   locally 
  known 
  as 
  " 
  black 
  limestone." 
  Wherever 
  it 
  occurs, 
  it 
  is 
  

   transgressive 
  upon 
  the 
  coal-measures, 
  as 
  pointed 
  out 
  by 
  Prof. 
  Sedg- 
  

   wick, 
  from 
  an 
  examination 
  of 
  sinkings 
  in 
  connexion 
  with 
  the 
  Croft- 
  

   pit, 
  near 
  Barrowmouth. 
  This 
  limestone, 
  along 
  with 
  the 
  overlying 
  

   shales 
  and 
  sandstones, 
  forms 
  an 
  escarpment 
  on 
  its 
  line 
  of 
  outcrop, 
  

   and 
  this 
  escarpment 
  is 
  the 
  eastern 
  limit 
  of 
  the 
  Permian 
  rocks 
  near 
  

   Whitehaven. 
  

  

  Succeeding 
  quite 
  conformably 
  to 
  the 
  band 
  of 
  magnesian 
  lime- 
  

   stones 
  is 
  the 
  highest 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  middle 
  series 
  of 
  Permian 
  rocks 
  

   of 
  St. 
  Bees 
  Head 
  at 
  Barrowmouth. 
  This 
  is 
  a 
  mass 
  of 
  red 
  shales, 
  

   containing 
  fine 
  white 
  gypsum, 
  which 
  Mr. 
  Binney 
  estimates 
  at 
  29 
  

   feet 
  in 
  thickness. 
  The 
  mineral 
  character 
  of 
  this 
  band 
  is 
  identical 
  

   with 
  the 
  red 
  shales 
  and 
  gypsum 
  forming 
  the 
  middle 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  

   Permian 
  formation 
  in 
  the 
  Valley 
  of 
  the 
  Eden. 
  At 
  Barrowmouth, 
  

   therefore, 
  the 
  middle 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  Permians 
  consists 
  of 
  limestone 
  

   with 
  Permian 
  Shells, 
  and 
  red 
  shales 
  with 
  gypsum, 
  whilst 
  at 
  Hilton- 
  

   beck 
  the 
  contemporaneous 
  strata 
  consist 
  of 
  yellow 
  and 
  grey 
  shales 
  

  

  * 
  Op. 
  cit. 
  supra, 
  pp. 
  395 
  and 
  406. 
  

  

  f 
  Mem. 
  Lit. 
  Phil. 
  Soc. 
  Manchester, 
  vol. 
  xii. 
  p. 
  51. 
  

  

  