LOWER NEW RED, NORTH WORCESTER. 



55 



red sandstone, iron in various states is here and there disseminated, and bands of impure 

 concretionary and mottled limestone re-occur at various levels. Towards the base, many 

 fragments of impressions of plants appear in beds of sandstone, which graduate into other 

 and lower strata, containing thin seams of coal, from which there is a conformable de- 

 scending passage into the true carboniferous system. (/. of wood-cut 5, p. 28.) In general 

 these rocks contain much argillaceous matter, which on decomposing gives a striking 

 resemblance in the surface of the country, to those tracts which are occupied by the 

 Old Red Sandstone ; whilst some of the calcareous bands above mentioned, are associated 

 with hard flagstones. So completely, indeed, do these bands resemble the cornstone 

 of the Old Red Sandstone, that they were formerly described from a part of this very 

 tract as belonging to that formation 1 . There is now, however, no doubt respecting 

 their age, since besides their clear superposition to the coal measures, some of these beds 

 contain fragments of mountain limestone, and sandstones with coal plants. This is 

 one of the many proofs (ample testimony of which will be found throughout this 

 volume,) of the danger of testing the age of rocks, by any peculiarity in their mineral 

 character, however striking ; for the graphic description of the cornstone of the Old 

 Red Sandstone, given by Dr. Buckland, is derived from specimens now proved to 

 belong to the New Red System. I cannot, however, make this observation without 

 remarking, that the mere lithological character of many of these beds might still mis- 

 lead the most practised geologist, if he had not worked out the relations of all the other 

 rocks of the district 2 . Upon the eastern face of the Clent Hills, the Lower New Red 

 appears as a highly argillaceous red sandstone, underlying the chief bands of calcareous 

 conglomerate of Frankley and Gannow Green, and dipping away from small patches of 

 coal, on the north-eastern face of the quartz rock of the Lickey Hills, and at the 

 southern end of the great Dudley coal-field. (See section, PI. 37. figs. 7 and 8.) There 

 is distinct proof in both tracts, that the Lower Red Sandstone is conformable to, 

 and passes into underlying coal measures ; but as the latter are of very poor quality, and 

 are in fact mere layers of carbonaceous matter, they have in most instances not been 

 wrought, whilst in others where they have, the works being abandoned, the relations 

 are but little known. It is certain, however, that to the east of Rubury Hill (Lickey), 

 the strata dip to the east at a slight angle, and pass with apparent conformability 



1 Geol. Trans., Old Series, vol. v., note p. 512. 



2 In my own case, for example, I am bound to acknowledge, that misled by mineral characters in the first year 

 of my survey, I laid down an adjacent tract of the Lower New Red, as Old Red Sandstone, an error which I only 

 rectified by working out the relations of all the surrounding rocks. Mr. Greenough in the table of superposition 

 illustrative of his map, has noticed the occurrence of cornstones both in the New and Old Red Sandstone. It 

 may be stated, that the inhabitants make no distinction between the half- concretionary, half- conglomerate cal- 

 careous masses in the New, and those in the Old Red Sandstone. In the country, however, of the Old Red 

 Sandstone, the name of " Cornstone" is restricted to the coarse, sandy, conglomerate-like masses, and is never 

 applied to the large concretions of purer limestone. 



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