ROBERTS — CARBONIFEROUS BEDS OF CLEE HILLS. 



123 



mile from this one, and quite as well worthy of a visit. Two quarries 

 have there been opened to supply building-stone for a church ; one at 

 such an interesting horizon, that a slab of rock T procured from it has 

 an upper surface of Mountain Limestone with Spirifera and a palatal 

 tooth of Psammodus three inches in length, while upon the under- 

 surface of yellow sandstone are seen the white scale-plates of Holop- 

 ty chins. 



The other quarry, below the church, should also be examined care- 

 fully, for this yellow sandstone is the equivalent of the Dura Den beds 

 of Fife, and of certain beds exposed along the western side of the 

 Porest of Dean coal-fields. Here I again detected the white china- 

 looking plates of Pterichthys, but no other fossils of importance. 



Detached pebbles of quartz are distributed throughout this bed ; 

 while the surfaces of the slabs are beautifully furrowed with the 

 ancient ripple-marks. 



Beneath these beds, stretching far away, twelve miles to the north- 

 ward, lie those persistent beds of " dull brick-red " sandstone and corn- 

 stones, which seem to be the natural base of the great carboniferous 

 formation. 



There are no lower beds than these exposed until the geologist has 

 travelled westward to the escarpment which bounds the lovely "Dale " 

 of the Corve, where a line of Upper THestones is exposed, upon which 

 the cornstones unconformably repose. Plates of Asterolepis are not 

 uncommon in the cornstones, but rarely in fine condition. 



To conclude this brief sketch, I would add that the geologist who 

 may contemplate a visit to the Clee would be greatly benefited in 

 his pursuit if he could obtain permission to inspect the fine suite of 

 fossils and rock-specimens collected by W. W. Jones, Esq., of Cleobury 

 Mortimer, before doing so. This gentleman's collection has been of 

 important service to myself in working up the district ; and, while I am 

 pleased to have the opportunity of acknowledging the courtesy I re- 

 ceived at his hands, I feel he would be pleased to give similar facilities 

 to any true geologist interested in the study of the rocks of this looality . 



TS2 



