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The following paper was read at the Ordinary Meeting of 
the Society, held on the 4th of April, 1871 : — 
“Notes on Drift of the Eastern Parts of the Counties of 
Chester and Lancaster,” by E. W. Binney, F.R.S., F.G.S., 
President. 
Having in a previous paper during this session given a 
short description of the higher drift found in these counties, 
we will proceed to consider the thick surface covering of 
the general drift, which nearly hides from our view the 
underlying strata, except where they are exposed in river 
courses, or in canal or railway cuttings. This generally 
reaches to an elevation of about 700 feet above the sea, 
and does not alter much in its appearance, whether it is 
seen at Blackpool, Ormskirk, or Liverpool, or at Burnley, 
Rochdale, Glossop, or Macclesfield, except being usually 
more divided as it is found inland, and approaches the sides 
of the Pennine chain. It consists of beds of till, clay, 
sand, and gravel. We commence with it at Crewe, and 
follow it by Sandbach, Macclesfield, Poynton, to Stockport, 
and thence up the valleys of the Goyt and the Etherow, 
and past Hyde, Dukinfield, Ashton-under-Lyne, Oldham, 
Rochdale, Heywood, Middleton, Bury, up into Rossendale, 
by Bolton, Chorley, and Preston, running up to Blackburn, 
Burnley, and Colne, on the one side, and by Kirkham and 
Poulton-le-Fylde, to Fleetwood, on the other. 
It has been treated on by various authors, a list of whose 
works are given. The deposits were tracked along the 
line above named ; and betwixt that line and the Irish Sea, 
the only direct allusion to them was on the line of Rail- 
way from Liverpool through Newton, Manchester, Middle- 
ton, and Rochdale, to Todmorden, with sections of sinkings 
Pboceedings — Lit. & Phie. Soo.— Vol. X. — No. 16.— Session 1870-1. 
