﻿Vol. 6l.] THE OCCURRENCE OP RHiETIC ROCKS AT BERROW HILL. 427 



The causes and effects of this nexuring have been dealt with else- 

 where, 1 but it may be of interest to mention that at JBerrow the 

 sandstone is arranged so as to form a basin ; and at Eldersfield — 

 immediately to the south — the numerous exposures show the dip to- 

 be quaquaversal. In the past there was a complete ellipsoidal 

 dome, but now the sandstone is much denuded, capping a central 

 boss, while the main mass is at distances varying from a quarter to 

 three-quarters of a mile away. East of the Eldersfield district 

 the rocks are necessarily disposed synclinalty : on the northern 

 extension of this axis lies Berrow Hill, and on the southern 

 Berth Hill. This hill, according to Symonds, is capped with 

 RhsDtic Black Shales. On the east again the Keuper Sandstone 

 reappears to form an anticline, and then disappears, dipping gently 

 eastward or south-eastward. A reference to the map (fig. 1, p. 425) 

 and sections (figs. 2 & 3, p. 426) will explain much more lucidly than 

 words the nexuring which the Keuper Sandstone has undergone. 



In his extremely-useful memoir on the ' Lias of England & 

 Wales,' Mr. H. B. Woodward stated that 



' The westerly extension of the Lias is marked by the small outlier on the 



summit of Berrow Hill Here only the basement-beds of the Lower Lias 



are found, above the Kbastic Beds, and they have been quarried for lime- 

 burning.' ('The Jurassic Rocks of Britain' Mem. Geol. Surv. vol. iii, 1893, 

 p. 146.) 



I am not aware that the Pteria ( Avicula)-contorta Zone has been 

 exposed on this hill, and this fact, combined with the interest which 

 would attach to its investigation with a view to seeing whether or 

 not its component beds were modified by proximity to the ancient 

 coast-line (formed mainly of Malvernian aplite and diorite), induced 

 me to make some excavations. 



A preliminary survey, carried out in company with .Dr. William 

 Washbourn, of Gloucester, had suggested that this would not be an 

 altogether easy task : apart from quarrying-operations, which had 

 greatly disturbed the ground and rendered it difficult to discover 

 virgin soil, the outcrop of the Rhsetic Beds was much obscured by 

 woods. 



The place finally decided upon for the excavations was in the 

 wheel-track leading from the limekiln to the quarries, and in them 

 most of the following section was exposed : — 



Thickness in feet inches. 

 Subsoil, with a few quartzite-pebbles 1 2 

 ( 1. Limestone, in several layers, 



> bluish-grey at least 1 



™ ,.§ 2. Marl, bluish-grey, with occa- 

 ^ ^ sional thin layers of yellowish- 



« £ brown limestone near the base 



£ ^ | and one near the centre 1 5 Ostrea liassica . 



3 O j 3. Limestone, bluish - grey, in 



several layers 8 Ostrea liassica, Modiola 



minima. 



1 Proc. Cottesw. Nat. F.-O. vol. xv (1905) pp. 93-100. 



