Vol. 51.] IN THE ' PERMIAN ' ROCKS OP "VVYRE FOREST. 545 



having a general red colour : such as the upper part of the section 

 at Ardwick, given by Mr. Binney, and also at Whiston, Raw Beck, 

 Canobie, and Catrine. 1 



[The Whitehaven Sandstone of the Cumberland Coalfield, about 

 the systematic position of which some doubt formerly existed — on 

 account of its red colour — has been for some time assigned to the 

 Coal Measures. 2 In the last number of this Journal (p. 235) 

 Mr, J. D. Kendall announces that a fyrirorbis-limestone band has 

 been discovered in this sandstone. 



In the Fifeshire Coalfield we find a thick series of red beds 

 overlying the ordinary Coal Measures. Messrs Binney and Kirkby 

 conclude that they are probably of Upper Coal Measure age. They 

 contain coal-seams and Coal Measure fossils, but no Sjrirorbis- 

 limestones. 3 



At Conisborough pottery in the Yorkshire Coalfield the red 

 beds containing Coal Measure plant-remains have been referred to 

 the Upper Coal Measures. 4 



Again, it must be carefully borne in mind that the occurrence of 

 a slight unconformity at the base of a series of beds is not in itself 

 sufficient ground for entirely separating that series from the one 

 beneath. We have already seen that in Coalbrookdale the yellow 

 Upper Coal Measures are highly unconformable to the Middle Coal 

 Measures. In the Leicestershire Coalfield the yellow Upper Coal 

 Measure sandstones of Moira and Newall are unconformable to the 

 underlying Middle Coal Measures. 5 



In the Lanarkshire Coalfield the red Coal Measure sandstones of 

 Hamilton and Blantyre are slightly unconformable to the beds 

 below. 6 — July, 1895.] 



There is plenty of precedent, therefore, for placing the Lower 

 Sandstones and Marls of the Wyre Forest ' Permians ' among the 

 Upper Coal Measures. 



Supposing then that we relegate these Lower Sandstones and 

 Marls to the Upper Coal Measures, what is to be said about the 

 groups 2 and 3 (p. 533) — that is, the Breccia and Conglomerate 

 Group, and the Upper Sandstones and Marls ? Are these all to be 

 regarded as Upper Coal Measures also ? If so, we have apparently 

 no true Permian here at all. If groups 2 and 3 cannot be both 

 regarded as Upper Coal Measures, where are we to draw the base 

 of the true Permian here, and what constitutes the true Permian 

 of the district ? 



1 Trans. Manch. Geol. Soc. vol. vi. (1866) pp. 38 et seqq. 



2 Hull, 'Coalfields of Great Britain,' 3rd ed. 1873, p. 215. But see Binney, 

 Trans. Manch. Geol. Soc. vol. vi. (1866) pp. 51-53 



3 Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xxxviii. (1882) p. 245. 



i ' Geol. of Yorks. Coalfield,' Mem. Geol. Surv. 1878, pp. 479-480. 

 5 Hull, 'Leicestershire Coalfield,' Mem. Geol. Surv. I860, p. 56. 

 e Hull, ' Coalfields of Great Britain,' 3rd ed. 1873, p. 274, 



