236 THE WHITEHAVEN SANDSTONE SEKIES. [May 1 895, 



paper in the Trans. Cumb. and Westm. Assoc. (No. ix., 1885), that 

 the evidence of appearance alone was worthless, and that the plate 

 of vertical sections illustrating Mr. Kendall's paper seemed to him 

 adverse to that writer's views as regards Bull Gill and Aspatria. 

 He would add, in conclusion, that the evidence of colliery-workings 

 was the only means by which the identity of any given rock with 

 the unconformable Whitehaven Sandstone could be established, and 

 he did not gather from the paper which had been just read that 

 any progress had been made in that direction since the publication 

 of Mr. Kendall's paper of 1883. 



Mr. Steahan had recently visited part of the area referred to with 

 the Author, but had not been satisfied that there was any definite 

 base to the Whitehaven Sandstone Series, or any unconformity 

 between it and the productive measures below. The cliff-section 

 referred to by the last speaker showed lenticular bands of conglo- 

 merate, near or at the base of the purplish sandstone, accompanied 

 by signs of slight erosion ; but such appearances were common in 

 all Coal Measures, and could scarcely be described as unconformities. 

 The colour was in his opinion due to staining. The purple hue 

 was characteristic of such conditions and was not confined to Coal 

 Measures, but was as conspicuous in Millstone Grit or whatever 

 other permeable rock was or had been overlain by the Eed Eocks. 

 The base of the series, according to the Author, was sometimes a 

 conglomerate, sometimes arenaceous, sometimes argillaceous, nor 

 could the horizon be traced by fossils. These admissions seemed to 

 him to indicate that the Author had been influenced by the colour 

 in determining the base of the series in different parts of the area, 

 which the speaker believed to be an unsafe guide. Tet on the 

 determination of a base, and its relative position to the workable 

 coal-seams, depended the theory of an unconformity. 



While differing from the Author on these theoretical conclusions, 

 he had pleasure in testifying to the ability with which he had 

 mastered the details of a most complicated and interesting area. 



Mr. Make could confirm the existence of rocks of various ages 

 around the Lake District area which had been stained red, sub- 

 sequently to their formation. The Whitehaven Sandstone flora was 

 well represented in the Woodwardian Museum ; and he had no doubt 

 that a careful examination of the plants obtained from the typical 

 Whitehaven Sandstone would give a clue to its age. 



