Murchisori s Silurian System. 33 



given by Dr. Ruckland, is derived from specimens now prov- 

 ed to belong to the New Red System. I cannot, however, 

 make this observation without remarking, that the mere 

 lithological character of many of these beds might still mis- 

 lead the most practised geologist, if he had not worked out 

 the relations of all the other rocks of the district.* Upon the 

 eastern face of the Clent Hills, the Lower New Red appears 

 as a highly argillaceous Red Sandstone, underlying the chief 

 bands of calcareous conglomerate of Frankley and Gannow 

 Green, and dipping away from small patches of coal, on the 

 north-eastern face of the quartz rock of the Lickey Hills, and 

 at the southern end of the great Dudley coal-field. There 

 is distinct proof in both tracts, that the Lower Red Sand- 

 stone is conformable to, and passes into underlying coal 

 measures ; but as the latter are of very poor quality, and are 

 in fact mere layers of carbonaceous matter, they have in most 

 instances not been wrought ; whilst in others where they have, 

 the works being abandoned, the relations are but little 

 known. It is certain, however, that to the east of Rubury 

 Hill the strata dip to the east at a slight angle, and 

 pass with apparent conformability beneath the Red Sandstone. 

 Between Hales-Owen and Hagley, at Wassail Grove and 

 Lutley, poor coal seams are apparent in natural sections, 

 forming the lowest portion of this system, or top of the carbo- 

 niferous strata, and dipping beneath the conglomerate and 

 Red Sandstone of the St. Kenelms and Clent Hills. Among 

 the most instructive excavations opened in these rocks, are 



* " In my own case, for example, I am bound to acknowledge, that misled by- 

 mineral characters in the first year of my survey, I laid down an adjacent tract 

 of the Lower New Red as Old Red Sandstone ; an error which I only rectified by 

 working out the relations of all the surrounding rocks. Mr. Greenough in the 

 table of superposition illustrative of his map, has noticed the occurrence of corn- 

 stones, both in the New and Old Red Sandstone. It may be stated, that the 

 inhabitants make no distinction between the half-concretionary, half-conglomerate, 

 calcareous masses in the New, and those in the Old Red Sandstone. In the coun-* 

 try, however, of the Old Red Sandstone, the name of " cornstone" is restricted to 

 the coarse, sandy, conglomerate-like masses, and is never applied to the large con- 

 rections of purer limestone " 



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