﻿Vol. 6 I.] IN THE NORTH-STAFFORDSHIRE COAL-MEASURES. 



521 



Blackshale Coal of Nottingham. Prof. Hull, referring to the 

 Silkstone Coal of Yorkshire, says that it is ' undoubtedly identical 

 with the Arley Mine of Lancashire,' 1 but he adduces no evidence 

 in support of this statement. "We now know, however, that the 

 A.rley Mine of Lancashire is the Carbonicola-robusta Zone ; and very 

 recently Mr. John Gerrard announced the discovery of a marine 

 band in its proximity at Victoria Colliery, Standish. Consequently, 

 the identity of the horizon in the coalfields of Yorkshire and 

 Nottinghamshire, Lancashire, and North Staffordshire rests upon 

 the following facts : — (a) Its proximity to the zone of Carbonicola 

 robusta ; (b) its relation to one of the most noted coal-seams in each 

 district ; (c) its position near the base of the most valuable portion 

 of the Coal-Measures ; and (d) the nature of the fossils collected 

 from the horizon in each coalfield. 



The following; list is common to the different coalfields : — 





North 



Staffs. 



-X- 



-x- 



-X- 



-X- 

 -X- 



NOTTS. 



Lanca- 

 shire. 



Lingula mytiloides, Sow 



-x- 



-x- 

 -x- 



Pterinopecten papyraceus (Sow. ) 



Orthoceras sp 



Goniatites 



Plant-remains 





The third line (C, in fig. 3, p. 518) is that suggested by Phillips, 

 Binney, and Warington Smyth, namely, the marine shales overlying 

 the Hard Bed of Yorkshire, the Bullion Coal of Lancashire, and the 

 Crabtree Coal of North Staffordshire. The fauna found at this 

 horizon, common to these coalfields, is tabulated in the following 

 list :— 





North 



Staffs. 



York- 

 shire. 



Lanca- 



SIIIKE. 



Lingula mytiloides, Sow 



* 

 * 



* 



* 

 * 

 * 

 * 



* 

 * 



Posidoniella Icevis (Brown) 



Pterinopecten papyraceus (Sow.) 



G-astrioceras Listeri (Mart.) 



Goniatites 



Orthoceras 



Its position in relation to the Millstone Grit is also confirmatory 

 of the correctness of this identification. 



The southward attenuation of the Coal-Measure Series in the 

 great area connected during deposition, which is represented in 



1 ' The Coalfields of Great Britain ' 3rd ed. (1873) p. 241. 



