of the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway. 549 



the unconformahility of the lowest rock, above mentioned, with the overlying new 

 red conglomerate. Assuming that the lowest rock is correctly identified with the 

 " Lower New Red," it follows that we thus obtain a tolerably exact date for the 

 principal protrusion of the volcanic rocks of the Lickey. The sandstone in ques- 

 tion dips at the high angle of 60° directly from the trap rocks, which exist in situ 

 a short distance to the north-west, and it is overlaid by conglomerates which are 

 not far removed from horizontality. It is therefore clear, that these trap rocks 

 must have been erupted after the deposition of the lower new red, and before the 

 conglomerates of the upper new red, and it is probable that the rolled pebbles of 

 the conglomerate were derived in great measure from the shattered strata which 

 were thus upheaved in the immediate vicinity*. It is further to be inferred, that 

 additional elevations of the region of the Lickey took place at a later date, for we 

 find these overlying conglomerates traversed by a fault, and upheaved into an anti- 

 clinal position, which may be traced on each side of the ridge as far up in the 

 series as the saliferous marls. Indeed it is probable that some of the dislocations 

 connected with the Lickey were later than the age of the lias, for in the south of 

 Worcestershire and Warwickshire the lias and red marl are affected by several 

 extensive faults, the directions of which have an appearance of radiating from the 

 Lickey. (See Geol. Trans, vol. v. pp. 333, 335.) 



In Groveley Hill (fig. 1.), on the north-east of the Lickey ridge, the red sand- 

 stone passes occasionally into a hard conglomerate of quartz pebbles with a calca- 

 reous paste, forming nodular masses and thin strata. Similar conglomerates are 

 described by Mr. Murchison as occurring in the upper new red sandstone in 

 several parts of Worcestershire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire!. A considerable 

 dislocation appears to traverse this hill, for, at the north end of Groveley Tunnel, 

 the strata dip about 30° N.E., while at the south end the inclination is only about 

 3° S.E. (See the section, PI. XLVIII. fig. 1.) 



At Finstal, on the south-west flank of the Lickey ridge, the upper portion of the 

 sandstone becomes light-coloured, contains obscure vegetable impressions (fig. 1 , 

 upper line) , and is a prolongation of the stratum of light-coloured sandstone with 

 vegetables exposed at Breakback Hill on the west of Bromsgrovej. These decom- 

 posed fragments of plants form the only examples of organic remains exposed by 

 the railway-cuttings in the new red sandstone. 



* The age here assigned to the trap rocks of the Lickey coincides with that attributed to them as well 

 as to those of Abberley and Malvern by Mr. Murchison (Silurian System, p. 67), though I believe he 

 had nowhere noticed an example of unconformity between the upper and lower new red, such as is here 

 exhibited. The elevation of the Nuneaton district seems also referable to the same epoch. 



•j- See Silurian System, p. 42, and Geol. Trans. 2nd Series, vol. v. p. 347. 



:j: See Geol. Trans. 2nd Series, vol. v. p. 341. 

 vol*. VI. SECOND SERIES. 4 B 



