the County of Durham, below the Magnesian Limestone. 351 



throws down the limestone, so as to make it abut against the 

 coal measures. 



On the slope of the hill rising towards Westerton, near a 

 well, in the middle of a large pasture field, the red sandstone 

 comes to the day. At the top of the hill the true relations of 

 the rocks are not easily understood ; the east end of the vil- 

 lage is upon limestone, but there is a sandstone at the surface, 

 in the road about one hundred yards to the westward, which 

 is no doubt caused by a fault. This sandstone may be seen 

 in a small quarry at the west end of the village ; but whether 

 it belongs to the red sandstone, or to the coal measures, is 

 difficult to determine ; it had large coarse grains of quartz in 

 it, apparently rounded by attrition. 



The limestone forms the top of the hill above Quarrington, 

 below it is the yellow sand, and beneath this the red sand^ 

 stone, which is here thin, and of the very micaceous variety. 

 The upper part of the yellow sand is hard, apparently from 

 the infiltration of calcareous matter from the limestone. 



Heugh Hall Hill is principally of limestone, but near the 

 bottom of its northern slope, the sand makes its appearance 

 having bands of a red colour in it, marking the planes of 

 stratification ; in a field at the foot of the hill called " Red 

 Brae Bank," the red sandstone has been lately bored through 

 in search of coal. 



On the slope of the hill above Pittington, both members 

 of this formation may be seen cropping out beneath the lime- 

 stone, but of inconsiderable thickness ; the sandstone is of the 

 micaceous variety, splitting into thin leaves. 



Near a limestone quarry on the hill between Pittington and 

 Moorsley, a thin bed of the same red micaceous shaly sand- 

 stone appears, having above, or in it, a seam of blueish-white 

 unctuous clay. The quarry here is extensively worked in the 

 slaty limestone ; a kiln is built upon the yellow sand, which, 

 at its upper part, has hard beds of a calcareous nature alter- 

 nating with it. 



The same light-coloured clay is visible on the side of the 

 footpath leading towards Moorsley, and still further on, about 

 half a mile short of that place, the yellow sand again appears 

 beneath the limestone. 



At Moorsley, a new pit has been sunk by Mr. Russell, 

 which was begun upon the yellow sand, and immediately be- 

 low the limestone. The sand is here about sixteen feet thick, 

 and the red sandstone three fathoms, having a shale bed be- 

 neath it. 



In sinking the old pit, at Hetton, below the yellow sand, 

 the red sandstone was found, between three and four fathoms 



thick ; 



