DESCRIPTION OF THE GEOLOGICAL MAP OF ENGLAND. 

 PLATE I. 



This map, or rather ground plan, is necessarily on too small a scale to afford more 

 than a very general idea of the geographical distribution of the principal groups of 

 strata over England, in accordance with the chronological synopsis in Lecture III.* 



A summary of the general features of the country is given in page 207, which it is 

 unnecessary here to repeat; but it may be interesting to offer a slight sketch of 

 what may be termed the Geology of the shores of England. With this view, if we 

 start on an imaginary cruise from the north, beyond Berwick, and proceed along the 

 eastern, south-eastern, and southern coasts, to the Land's-End, and then sail along 

 the western shores till we reach the Solway Firth, the following geological 

 phenomena will successively be presented. 



The border country of England and Scotland consists of Silurian deposits, with a 

 tract of Devonian north of Berwick, in which fossil fishes have been met with. 

 From Berwick to Shields, the Carboniferous system, comprising the Mountain 

 limestone, Coal, and Millstone grits, forms the Northumberland coast; a few 

 insulated masses of plutonic rocks {Trap) appearing here and there ; as for example, 

 at Bamborough Castle, and Dunstanborough. From near Tynemouth to Hartlepool, 

 the Magnesian limestones of the Permian system appear ; thence to Redcar, the 

 Trias deposits, in which the embouchure of the river Tees is situated, form the shore. 



The coast of the north riding of Yorkshire, composed of Lias and Oolite, is now 

 reached ; a tract that includes Whitby, in the neighbourhood of which place are 

 high cliffs of Lias, abounding in fossils of great variety and interest; as for example, 

 Ichthyosauri and other reptiles : jet, wood, and numerous shells. In the continuance 

 of this coast to Scarborough and Speeton, the Great Oolite, Coral-rag, Oxford clay, 

 and other members of the Oolite appear, containing organic remains in profusion ; 

 and along this shore are exposed the intercalated fluvio-marine strata, full of cyca- 

 deous plants, ferns, &c. lignite, and coal. Thence to Flamborough Head, the 

 Grreensand, Speeton clay, and Red chalk emerge, and finally, the White chalk, of 

 which the high cliffs of the promontory consist. From this part of Yorkshire, the 

 coast boundary is chiefly made up of the alluvial deposits of Holderness ; and along 

 the maritime district of Lincolnshire, till we reach Norfolk, of low cliffs, of gravel, 

 and marine detritus ; covered in many places by drift, containing mammalian re- 

 mains. The chalk range of Norfolk extends to the sea on the north, from Thornliam 

 to Blakeney; and at Cromer is capped by mammaliferous Crag. 



The tertiary strata of Norfolk are for the most part obscured along the coast by 

 drift and alluvial debris, in which great numbers of the teeth and bones of 

 mammoths, and other extinct mammalia, have been discovered. At Happisburg, 

 numerous bones of elephants have been met with ; in the Crag cliffs near South- 

 wold, the teeth of Mastodon longirostris have been found. 



* For convenience the Silurian and Cumbrian deposits are denoted by the same 

 number (8) and colour. 



