68 MR ROBERT KIDSTON ON THE 



In regard to the Permian Eocks of North Staffordshire, Mr Ward * says : — " I may 

 here remark that a considerable development of red, purple, and variegated marls, which 

 have been coloured by the Geological Survey as Permian, are, I am inclined to think, in 

 reality Upper Coal Measures. It remains a question yet to be decided whether a con- 

 siderable area occupied by beds such as I have described, largely developed on the western 

 and southern parts of the coal field, should with propriety be classed with the Permian 

 or Upper Coal Measure Series. Whatever may be the issue of the inquiry, it is clear 

 that, concerning the line of demarcation separating the Permian from the Upper Coal 

 Measures in North Staffordshire, as yet we know nothing." 



In connection with the age of these supposed Permian rocks, it may be mentioned 

 that certain rocks at Great Barr, near Birmingham, which were also thought to be 

 Permian, were shown while sinking the shaft of the Hamstead Colliery to be Upper Coal 

 Measures.t 



In collecting material for this paper I am indebted for much assistance to Dr Hind 

 and Mr F. Barke, Stoke-upon-Trent ; but especially am I indebted to Mr John Ward, 

 F.G.S., Longton, for the valuable help he has given me, and by whom I was brought 

 into correspondence with these other workers, and through whose kind offices I had 

 every facility given me for examining the specimens in the Stoke Museum. My thanks 

 are also due to Mr R. Clive for specimens from Tunstall. 



Synopsis of Species. 



Calamiteae. 



Group. I. — Calami tin a, Weiss., Steinkohlen Calamarien, part ii. p.*96, 1884. 



Calamitina (Calamites) varians, Sternb., sp. 



Catamites varians, Sternb., Vers., ii. p. 50, pi. xii. 



Middle Coal Measures. 



Horizon and Locality. — Bassy Mine Ironstone. Stafford Iron and Coal Company, 



Fenton. 

 ,, „ 40 yards below Little Row Coal. Clan way Colliery, Tunstall. 



,, ,, Knowles Ironstone. Fenton. 



,, (?) ,, Adderley Green, near Longton. 



Lower Coal Measures ( Upper Series). 

 Horizon and Locality. — Holly Lane Coal. Bucknall. 



* hoc. cit., p. 14. 



t See Rep. Brit. Assoc, 1886, p. 626; also Trans. Roy. Soc. Edin., vol. xxxv., part 6, p. 317, 1888. 



