in Scotland and Parts of England. 277 



and the Kent to the barren tract between Bolland Forest 

 and the bay of Morecambe, and from the vicinity of Lancas- 

 ter they are traced at intervals through the comparatively 

 low country of Preston and Manchester, lying between the 

 sea and the Yorkshire and Derbyshire hills, to the valley of 

 the Trent, the plains of Cheshire and Staffordshire, and the 

 vale of the Severn, where they occur of great magnitude. 

 It thus appears that the Pennine chain, ranging north and 

 south, acted as a great natural dam, limiting the eastward 

 distribution of the blocks ; but at Stainmoor, directly east 

 of Shap Fells, a comparatively low part of the chain (1400 

 feet above the sea), granite from Shap Fell, which is 1500 

 feet, as well as sienitic rocks from Barrock Fell, which 

 is 2200 feet, and red conglomeratic masses from Kirby 

 Stephen, only 500 feet above the sea, have been drifted over 

 the ridge. This great boundary passed, the blocks are scat- 

 tered from Stainmoor, as from a new centre, to Darlington, 

 Redcar, Stokesley, Osmotherly, Thirsk, and the whole front 

 of the Hambleton hills ; they have gone down the whole 

 length of the vale of York, and by the base of the chalk 

 wolds to the Humber." To the south of the point of pas- 

 sage here described, the boulders of the Lake district lie up 

 against the Pennine chain " in enormous quantity, and in 

 the most inextricable confusion, not to be explained by any- 

 thing like the action of the sea on its coasts, even during 

 the most violent storms." 



In Norfolk, the series of superficial deposits is thus set 

 down by Sir Charles Lyell : 



3. Erratics. 



2. Fresh-water deposits, with beds of lignite and subma- 



rine forests. 



1. Un stratified clay or till, lying on the Norwich Crag. 

 Mr Trimmer describes the superficial deposits of the coun- 

 try between Congleton and Macclesfield, as follows : 



3. Upper Erratics : sand and gravel ; large northern 



boulders. 



2. Till : " a red clay containing many small fragments 



having a northern origin, and much detritus derived 



