The Marine Beds in the Coal-Measures of North Staffordshire

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Abstract
I. I ntroductory R emarks . T he North-Staffordshire Coalfield offers exceptional facilities for the study of Coal-Measure geology. It is remarkably rich in deposits of coal, ironstone, and marl, which are being worked by means of a comparatively-large number of mines and quarries; and, by reason of the excessive folding and faulting of the Measures, the whole sequence is exposed within a moderate area. The number of these exposures is further increased by the shaft-sinkings and cross-measure drifts which are rendered necessary by the disposition of the strata, and are constantly in progress in some part of the district in the process of mining the different beds. Each of these operations, therefore, not only reveals a section of the strata, but also provides a large quantity of material for search and examination. In order, however, to reap the fullest benefit from such opportunities, it is necessary to inspect the excavated débris almost day by day, so that the stratigraphical position of each fossiliferous band may be located in situ , with exactness. It is obvious that this can only be performed by local workers; and, during the past six years, I have taken advantage of these opportunities for minute and careful examination of the individual beds of the Coal-Measures, chiefly with the purpose of establishing a more satisfactory correlation of the seams in the different areas of the Coalfield. Fortunately, the work has added to our knowledge of the prevalence of marine conditions during the period of deposition in the Midlands of those Measures

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