58 J. W. DAYIS ON PISH-EEMAINS FOTJIfD 11^ THE 



ft. in. 



Black shale (with oil) 7 



Stone Coal or Cannel 9^ 



Coal 11 



Dirt 3 



Coal 2 



Seat-earth or spavin 3 



Coal 1 1 



Seat-earth 8 



Between Gildersome and Tingley, in nearly a straight line, about 

 a mile from the latter, is Bruntcliffe, with this section : — 



ft. in. 



"Hubb" 2 



Stone or Cannel Coal 8 



Shale parting 1 



Blendings Coal 6 



Strong grey shale 9 



Low-bed Coal 1 4 



The Cannel Coal at West Ardsley, one mile south of Tingley, 

 is 6 inches thick, there being a second bed, very impure, 4 inches 

 thick, separated from the former by 7 inches common coal, &c. In 

 the opposite direction, li mile from Tingley, the Cannel Coal has 

 thinned out at Middleton colliery to the following dimensions : — 



ft. in. 



Bituminous shale 4 



Cannel Coal 1^ 



Common Coal 9^ 



Cannel Coal 1 



Common Coal 2^ 



At this pit the Cannel Coal has become diminished in thickness 

 to two thin beds 1^ and 1 inch thick respectively, and a little 

 further eastward these finally disappear, their place being supplied 

 by a black bituminous shale. The Cannel Coal has a fine close- 

 grained texture ; it is bituminous, and of a dull black colour. It is 

 homogeneous, and breaks with a conchoidal fracture without any 

 trace of the lines of deposition, in this respect diff'ering from 

 common coal. The black bituminous shale, locally named " Hubb " 

 or " Drub," is somewhat similar in appearance to the stone coal, 

 and only difiers from it in having a great proportion of earthy 

 matter in its composition. In some instances it contains a quantity 

 of mineral oil, as at Gildersome. 



Before enumerating the remains of fossil fish found in the Cannel 

 Coal it may be worth while to consider the circumstances attending 

 the deposition of the coal-seam. The Cannel Coal is thickest in the 

 centre, and thins off in every direction ; it becomes less pure, and 

 is replaced by black carbonaceous shales, towards the circumference 

 of the bed. The coals were probably aggregated in a small inland 

 lake, very shallow and liable to be dried up. The plants forming 

 the coal were washed into this lake by streams, and becoming 

 decomposed and settling to the bottom, accumulated in a homo- 

 geneous mass, prior to its being changed by pressure and chemical 

 causes into coal. The interlami nation of shales, more frequent and 

 thicker nearer the sides of the lake, would naturally result from 

 the mud, also brought down by the streams, settling to the bottom 



