MANCHESTER GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
119 
ances of the drift miglit be collected,, and thus some light be 
thrown on its origin. They might compare the phenomena of 
drift in this neighbourhood with the valuable information relative 
to the action of glaciers, as observed by Agassiz and others ; as 
well as the facts afforded by voyagers, of the actions of icebergs 
on lines of coast, and in the end arrive at a true theory of the 
origin of drift. In the course of his observations Mr. Binney 
said that there was on Cheetham Hill, either a bed of peat, or 
the remains of an old pond of considerable extent. The dip of 
the gravel and sand No. 3, at Pendleton, was about 8 degrees to 
the S.S.W. He also stated, that Mr. Harkness would have a 
paper for the society's next meeting, on the drift of Ormskirk. 
The thanks of the meeting having been given to Mr. Binney for 
his communication, the Chairman suggested that an outline map, 
at all events, might be laid down, and expressed a hope that Mr. 
Binney would colour the large map of the county. The valley 
of the Irwell seemed to be a bay of some great sea. Mr. Binney 
thought there was little doubt but that these valleys had been 
formed under the ocean. He could not colour a map, without a 
much greater collection of data. They could take a section from 
Liverpool up to the Summit Tunnel on the Liverpool and Leeds 
Railways, and it would show the new red sandstone at Liverpool 
without much drift ; at Bainhill there was very little till you 
come down from Sutton, and you begin at Newton to come to 
cuttings, and then the drift was seen. At Chat Moss Tavern 
there was more sand ; but it was chiefly till. Under Chat Moss 
there was no chance of seeing it ; and near the Eccles New Road, 
you get into the till, and you cross into Salford upon it. Then 
the low parts of Salford and Manchester were on the gravel 
No. 5. At Hunt's Bank you come to the stiff till ; and, cross- 
ing St. George's Road, there was nothing but till, which con- 
tinued to the Moston Cutting, and thence to Fox Denton, where 
it was succeeded by the sand, and the line seemed to go over 
that deposit nearly all the way to within two miles of Little- 
