§ 16. CARBONIFEROUS SYSTEM OF DEVONSHIRE. 683 



rocks. By a careful examination of the plants and other 

 organic remains, these culmiferous beds are found to be 

 connected with the Trias above, and the Devonian below : 

 the latter being characterized by its peculiar fossils, and 

 passing into the Silurian system. 



ss.w. 



Launceston. 



Fig. 2. 



1. North Foreland. 2. Barnstaple. 3. Oakhampton. 4. Start Point. 



Lign. 151. — Section of the Strata of Devonshire. 



(Professor Sedgwick and Sir R. I. Murchison.) 



Fig. 1. Section from NN.E. to SS.W. showing the carboniferous strata (a) in the 

 centre, resting on each side on slates and sandstone of the Devonian 

 system [b, b) ; a protrusion of granite (c) occurring on the SS W. 

 — 2 Section from north to south: the carboniferous beds (a) repose on Devo- 

 nian strata on the north (b) ; while on the south the granite of Dartmoor 

 has been protruded (c) ; the Devonian system (b) re-appearing in the 

 southern part of the county, terminated by a band of micaceous schists (d). 



a, Carboniferous system ; the culmiferous rocks of Devonshire. 



b, Devonian or Old Red system, consisting of slaty rocks, sandstone, and 

 limestone. 



c, Granite. 



d, Micaceous schists; altered or metamorphosed strata. 



The culmiferous deposits of Devonshire were probably 

 once connected with the coal formation on the north side 

 of the Bristol Channel : the vegetable fossils which they 

 contain are identical with those of the coal basin of South 

 Wales. These sections {Lign. 151), by the eminent geo- 

 logists above named, will serve to illustrate the subject, 

 and render details unnecessary. In the section (fig. I) 

 from NN.E. to SS.W. the culmiferous beds (a) are 

 seen to form a trough, -and repose on each side on the 



