74 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



At page 313 of the above work, Dr. G-einitz says : " Through Mr. Binney 

 we have become acquainted with true Eothliegende, and indeed of its up- 

 per portion in the region of the Lower Bed Sandstone of the north-west 

 of England. That accurate observer mentioned to me that the reddish- 

 grey sandstone underlying it, and which is very similar to the Lower Eed 

 Sandstone of the north-east of England, contains plants of the Coal-mea- 

 sures, and that it occupies even a lower position than certain limestones of 

 the coal-measures which are rich in ichthyolites. I have myself seen from 

 the reddish sandstone of Astley, near Manchester, Calami tes approxima- 

 tes, Schl., and Catamites Suchoioi, Brongn. ; from the red shales at Ard- 

 wick, Manchester, Sagenaria dichotoma, Sternb., Catamites SucJcowi, 

 Brong., Sphenopteris irregularis, Sternb., Sphenopteris coralloides, Gutb., 

 Dictyopieris neuropteroides, Gutb., Cyaiheites villosns, Brong., Cyatheites 

 oreopteroides, Gopp., and Aletlwpteris lonckitides, Sternb., all true coal 

 plants." 



No one more than the learned author, Mr. Binney said he was sure, would 

 like any mistake to be corrected. Now in the statement that "the reddish- 

 grey sandstone underlying it (the true Eothliegende), and which is very 

 similar to the Lower Eed Sandstone of the north-east of England, con- 

 tains plants of the coal-measures," the Doctor is quite correct ; but when 

 he proceeds to state " that it (the true Eothliegende) occupies even a lower 

 position than certain limestones of the coal-measures which are rich in ich- 

 thyolites," that author had misunderstood him, and had apparently con- 

 founded the ribbon-beds of limestone in the red marls lying above the 

 pebbly beds at Astley with the Upper Carboniferous limestones at Ardwick, 

 and then stating that such pebble-beds occupy an inferior position to the 

 latter. It is certain that the Astley pebble-beds containing coal plants 

 occupy a higher geological position than the red shales, which, the Doctor 

 truly states, also contain true coal plants. How much higher it is impos- 

 sible to say, as it is most probable there are higher Carboniferous strata 

 than those yet seen at Ardwick, and there may be Permian strata lower 

 than those up to this time met with at Astley — at present we cannot tell. 



As the Permian group of strata is now occupying the attention of geolo- 

 gists both in England and on the Continent, the following table of the 

 beds in the north-west of England, with their approximate thicknesses, as 

 seen at Shawk, west of Carlisle, TTesthouse, south of Kirkby Lonsdale, 

 and Manchester, in the descending order, may be acceptable : — 







Shawk. 



Westhoo.se. 1 



"Manchester. 







Feet. 



Feet. 



Feet. 



1. 



* Laminated and fine-grained red sandstones. 



300 



Not seen. 



Not seen. 



2. 



Red and variegated marls, containing some- 











times, but not always, beds of limestone 

 and gypsum, with fossil shells of the 



j> 150 



Traces of 

 them seen. 



300 





genera Sc/tizodus, Bakevellia, etc. . . 









3. 





4 



300 



50 



4. 



Lower New Red Sandstone, generally soft 

 and incoherent 



} ! 



500 



500 



5. 



Red shaly elays 



Not seen. 



250 



Not seen. 



6. 



Astley pebble-beds, containing common coal 



j> Not seen. 



Not seen. 



60 





plauts, termed by me Lower Permian . 



* The first four strata of the above scries, Professor Harkness, F.R.S., in a fine natural 

 section seen at Hilton Beck, north of Brough, estimates to be of 3000 feet in thickness.. 



