Border Country of Salop and North Wales ; ^c. 251 



appears to have lain always undisturbed, sufficiently proves that the whole 

 mass of the hill has consisted of this rock. Calcut Hill, which is much lower 

 than the others, is covered with beds of clay, sand, and gravel, and its whole 

 surface is cultivated. 



3. The detached portions of the older rocks, which are found in the vicinity 

 of Dudley, may be traced to the distance of about three miles from the Clent 

 Hills. Mr. Keir's account of them, in Shaw's History of Staffordshire, renders 

 it unnecessary to attempt more than a supplementary account of some of the 

 most remarkable appearances, which have been brought to light since he 

 wrote. 



A line drawn from Wolverhampton to Rowley will coincide with the gene- 

 ral direction of the chain of hills, which forms the south-western boundary of 

 the South Staffordshire coal-field. The Birmingham canal pursues a serpen- 

 tine course from Oldbury through this coal-field, the length of which is 

 parallel to the same line. The chain of hills commences rather more than a 

 mile to the south of Wolverhampton, and terminates a little beyond Rowley. 

 All its principal eminences are from 300 to 400 feet above the level of the 

 Birmingham canal. The town of Dudley is situated about half-way between 

 the two extremities of the chain, which at this point is also divided into two 

 portions of the most opposite mineralogical characters. 



The northern portion is calcareous. It consists of four hills separated by 

 transverse valleys ; all very long in proportion to their breadth ; and corre- 

 sponding in their general direction to the line which has been indicated. The 

 Beacon Hill near Sedgley differs from those further south in yielding lime, 

 which is not only used for building and for agricultural purposes, but also 

 possesses the quality of setting under water. The three hills further south are 

 called Hurst Hill, the Wren's Nest, and the Castle Hill. The two latter are 

 perforated by great artificial excavations. Mr. Downing of Dudley, who 

 superintends the extensive operations carried on in these hills, has favoured 

 me with a very exact transverse section of the Wren's Nest on a scale of 80 

 yards to an inch *. 



* See PI. XXVI. fig. 3. AB is a tunnel cut through the hill from east to west on the same level 

 with the Birmingham canal, and consequently coinciding with the general level of the adjoining 

 country. It crosses four strata of limestone, marked 1,2, 3, 4, which form with it angles, 

 varying, as shown on the section, from 45° to 79°, but converging towards the summit of the 

 hill. The parts of the hill intermediate between these strata consist of a bluish slate.clay, charged 

 with calcareous matter, and including concretionary masses of argillaceous limestone with grains 

 of copper pyrites. These varieties of the calcareous strata, not being used to burn into lime, are 

 here known by the name of bavin. They converge, as well as the strata of good limestone, 

 towards the summit of the hill, and about the middle point of the tunnel they form a perfect 



