248 



Yorkshire Naturalists at Lofius, 



where it is computed to be 150 feet thick. The shale was burnt 

 and the alum obtained by dissolving- out the sulphate and 

 clarifying- and crystallising- the liquid, the burnt refuse beings 

 thrown over the cliff, where now for miles along the coast red 

 shing-le tinges the shores ; sometimes it forms the only walking- 

 space and gives the pedestrian cause to slacken pace and mop 

 his brow. Below the Alum shale lie in successive order the 

 A. serpejitinus zone or Jet shale, about 47 feet in thickness, the 

 A. annulatiis, A. spinatiis, A. margaritatus , A. capricornus, and 

 A. ja?7iesoni zones, the latter being the lowest rock exposed during 

 the visit. 



The famous Cleveland Ironstone is found, as already said, in 

 the A. spinatus zone, and is spread over a large area. In the 

 Eston and Upleatham district it exists as one thick block, but 

 proceeding southward and eastward a wedge of shale splits the 

 seam into two portions, and as the wedge thickens the one 

 seam of stone at Eston becomes two distinct seams with, as 

 here at Rockcliffe, a top block and a bottom block, between 

 which layers of shale and impure ironstone of several feet in 

 thickness are interposed. 



In the A. jamesoni beds the most interesting find was eight 

 or ten bones of one of those huge saurians which in Liassic 

 times inhabited the seas. These remains were embedded in the 

 shale and part of the bones protruded above the surface, having 

 been exposed by the wasting action of the waves on the soft 

 shale. It is quite probable that much more of the animal's 

 remains are still-covered, and the local geologists have arranged 

 to attempt to procure the slab containing them as intact as 

 possible and deposit it in the Dorman Museum at Middles- 

 brough. Another very interesting find near to, although not in 

 situ was a single vertebra of what must have been a saurian of 

 tremendous size ; the vertebra measured 13 inches in diameter, 

 and was still surrounded by a considerable covering of shale. 

 This, too, it is hoped to be able to send to the Dorman Museum. 



All along the coast in this neighbourhood the foot of the 

 cliffs is more or less protected by big blocks of stone which have 

 fallen from above and form a kind of breakwater, arresting the 

 eroding action of the sea, as the waves dash themselves to 

 spray before reaching the base of the cliffs ; but here and there, 

 where no such protection exists, and where the sea has worn 

 out of the headland little bays, its scooping and cutting action 

 is well seen in the indented line of coast and the partially 

 isolated columns of rocks which have been carved out. Another 



Naturalist, 



