Mr. H. Holland on the Cheshire Rock-salt District. 51 



there are not in these strata any veins of rock-salt, connected with 

 the great mass below : on the contrary, the line of division between 

 the clay and rock-salt is drawn with great distinctness in every in- 

 stance, and presents none of those inequalities which would arise 

 from a mutual penetration of the strata. 



It may, I believe, be considered as a decided fact that no marine 

 exuvise or organic remains are found in the strata situated over the 

 rock-salt. I have indeed heard it asserted that there are a few in- 

 stances in opposition to this statement ; but upon minute inquiry, I 

 do not find that the accuracy of these alleged exceptions is in any 

 degree to be depended upon. 



The general, I believe universal, occurrence of gypsufti, in con- 

 nexion with beds of fossil salt, is a fact worthy of observation. 

 This connexion appears in the salt mines of Hungary, Transylvania, 

 and Poland, as well as in those of Cheshire, and it has led Werner to 

 assign to the rock-salt and floetz gypsum a conjunct situation in his 

 Geognostic System. The gypsum, contained in the clays over the 

 Cheshire rock-salt, occurs in varying proportions, and under different 

 appearances in the several beds passed through. It is found both in 

 large masses and in small granular concretions. The compact, 

 foliated, and fibrous varieties are all met with ; the last of these oc- 

 curring in very considerable proportion. According to Werner, the 

 first or oldest floetz gypsum is that which has the most immediate 

 relation to rock-salt. I am not enabled to say whether the gypsum 

 appearing above the Cheshire salt would be considered as belonging 

 to this particular formation. The presence of the fibrous variety of 

 the mineral would rather seem to place it with the second floetz 

 gypsum where this species is particularly abundant ; but no positive 

 distinction can be derived from this circumstance. I may remark that 

 gypsum has been met with in several other parts of the Cheshire 



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