III. A Sketch of the natural History of the Cheshire Rock-Salt 

 District. 



By Henry Holland, Esq. Honorary Member of the Geological Society. 



Jl- HE vast beds of fossil or rock-salt, which are found in different 

 parts of the County of Chester, form undoubtedly the most important 

 and peculiar feature in the mineralogy of this district. In offering 

 to the notice of the Geological Society some remarks upon these 

 mines, it may be proper to premise, that in a Survey of Cheshire, 

 which I had the honour of drawing up for the Board of Agriculture, 

 I entered at considerable length upon the subject of their natural 

 history, and upon the manufacture of white salt from the brine 

 springs to which they give rise. It will be my present object to 

 consider more especially the mineralogical situation and characters 

 of the Cheshire rock-salt ; and though the repetition of some state- 

 ments must necessarily occur; this, in the case of a work only 

 partially known, can, I conceive, be attended with little disad^ 

 vantage. 



Character of the country surrounding the salt mines. 

 In speaking of the general situation of the Cheshire salt mines, it 

 will be proper to state some facts with respect to the nature of the 

 surrounding country, that their mineralogical relations may more 



