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ILLUSTRATIONS OF 
rock^ containing occasionally crystals of hornblende, 
and associated with gneiss^ and greenstone/ Sienitic 
granite^ however, occurs in some parts of the range, 
and the variety of appearances which the constituents 
of these primitive rocks put on, in their different 
proportions of felspar, hornblende, quartz, and mica, 
is very remarkable. Epidote occurs on the End hill, 
traversing the granitic and sienitic rocks in small 
veins of a yellowish-green colour. 
There is no mineral production on this mountain 
convertible to any useful object, but the rough stones 
are used for walls and building purposes. 
There is some difference of opinion respecting the 
height of these hills. Dr. Nash makes their height 
above the Severn at Hanley to be 1,313 feet ; and 
Col. Mudge states that he found their height above 
^ The greenstone is the prevailing rock on the eastern side of the hills, and forms 
the summits of tlie Worcestershire Beacon and North Hill. It is often in a very 
decomposing state, and splits into small irregular pieces w^ith decomposed surfaces, 
so that it presents a very deceptive aspect to a tyro in geology. It is traversed by 
slender veins of granite, and contains crystallized sulphate of barytes in its fissures. 
The granite itself occurs at the northern part of the range in very irregular masses, 
interspersed with agglomerated mica ; but the composition of the Herefordshire 
Beacon and its subordinate heights, is a red friable granite, in wrhich mica is a rare 
component, and is often entirely wanting. Mr, Ainsworth observes, in a paper 
on the Geology of the Malvern Hills, in the Ed. New Phil. Jour, that " From the 
most northerly point to as far as their structure can be investigated in the south, 
they present an uniform series of primitive rocks, from highly crystalline granite to 
the more compact chlorite slate ; and the transitions between these two rocks may, 
with a little patience of research, be traced throughout all their gradations ; not 
that these gradations occur exactly in accordance with the relative situation of the 
mountain masses, but that in particular localities, such transitions are distinctly 
marked out. The central part of the range, comprising the Herefordshire Beacon 
and its table-land, the hill extending to the north to the Wych road, and the hill 
above Eastnor wood to the soutli of the Beacon, are all composed of granite, with 
slight local variations of texture." 
