362 MR. T. F. SIBLY ON THE CARBONIFEROUS [May I906, 



In 1889, however, Prof. C. Lloyd Morgan, who made a careful 

 examination of the ground, came to the conclusion * that the in- 

 sertion, on the Geological Survey-map, of Old Red Sandstone and 

 4 Lower Limestone Shales ' was incorrect, and that Millstone Grit, 

 with associated carbonaceous shales, extends right down the 

 valley. 



In the hope of throwing some further light on the geology of this 

 interesting locality, I have devoted a considerable amount of time 

 to a very careful examination of the ground ; and the result of my 

 investigation has been to confirm the conclusions arrived at by 

 Prof. Lloyd Morgan. During the course of my work, however, several 

 important stratigraphical features have become apparent, and these, 

 I think, warrant some further description of the neighbourhood. 



The description falls naturally into three parts. 



(i) The Millstone Grit and associated shales, etc. 



The lowest beds of the Millstone -Grit Series are now very well 

 exposed in a quarry, recently opened, at the head of the valley (see 

 map, fig. 1, p. 361). This quarry lies on the south side of a wall, 

 in the course of a footpath which affords a short cut from the 

 Priddy-to-Easton track to the track leading down to Ebbor Farm. 

 The lowest beds seen in the quarry are pinkish-white quartzites 

 with red ferruginous specks ; these beds reappear on the north side 

 of the wall, and there lie only 20 yards from the nearest limestone- 

 exposure. Grey and red shales become interbedded with the upper 

 beds of the grit, and predominate in the upper part of the quarry. 

 The general dip of 60° to 65° southward, and the strike of about 

 north 40° west, indicate conformity with the underlying limestones, 

 although in the upper part of the quarry the beds are somewhat 

 disturbed. I have found no fossils in these beds ; but Mr. H. E. 

 Balch possesses a large piece of Sigillaria, obtained from the grit, 

 and he informs me that such specimens are occasionally found by 

 the quarrymen. 



About 100 yards south of the quarry, well-bedded greyish sand- 

 stones, dipping southward at 80° and striking north 42° west, are 

 exposed in a small working. 



In a cattle-pond lying about 180 yards west 20° south of the 

 quarry, grey and reddish shales are exposed. Only 25 yards south 

 of this pond, hard grey limestones, much veined with calcite, are 

 seen in situ. The greatest width of the outcrop of the grit-shale 

 series probably never exceeds 200 yards. 



An old pit, mentioned in the Geological Survey-memoir, 2 lies about 

 100 yards west of the quarry. Prof. Lloyd Morgan found fragments 

 of coal in the spoil-heap of this pit; and Mr. Ealch informs me 

 that a coal-seam, about 1 foot thick, was proved. 



North-west of the quarry, the hard quartzites are again exposed, 

 south of the ruined farm-buildings. They dip southward at about 



1 Proc. Bristol Nat. Soc. n. s. vol. vi (1890-91) p. 173. 



2 ' The Geology of East Somerset & the Bristol Coalfields ' 1876, p. 30. 



