The Midland erratics have undoubtedly travelled from three distinct regions, viz., (1) from Wales, (2) the western part of the Lake district, and (3) Kirkcudbrightshire. Boulders from the more easterly part of the Lake district, such as the Snap granite boulders, so abundantly spread over Yorkshire, have not been found in this neighbourhood.
The peculiar distribution of the Midland erratics is noteworthy. Commencing at Bushbury Hill (a little to the north of Wolverhampton, on the table land facing towards the N.W.) the Lake rocks and the Scotch rocks—Criffell granites and Eskdale granites—are largely intermingled. Journeying westwards, a stream of boulders from Wales crosses the northern streams. On and around the Clent Hills (1023 feet) south west of Birmingham, Welsh felsites are the only boulders to be found. Birmingham itself being in the rear of the higher part of the table land on which it stands, is in a kind of protected district, so far as the northern stream of boulders is concerned, and the erratics in its immediate vicinity are chiefly Welsh felsites; a few fragments however of granite are occasionally found.
Post Glacial Beds.—The most complete section of post glacial beds in this locality was obtained during excavations made at Shustoke, near Birmingham; when a bed of black peat, containing the remains of Elephas antiquus, Cervus elephas, and Bos primigenius, with hazel nuts and fragments of wood, was discovered 7ft. 6in. beneath the surface. The section was as follows:—
| Soil | 1ft. | 0in. |
| Sandy marl | 1ft. | 8in. |
| Yellow clay (stiff) | 3ft. | 8in. |
| Blue clay (stiff) | 1ft. | 2in. |
| Black peat | 1ft. | 10in. |
| “Ballast” gravel and sand | 3ft. | 0in. |
| Sandstone and marl. |
The fossils found in the peat have been placed in the Geological Museum of the Mason College.
PETROGRAPHY.
Notes on the Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks of the Birmingham District.
BY S. ALLPORT, F.G.S.
The space available for some account of the crystalline rocks being strictly limited, it would be useless to attempt anything more than a brief general description of the most important and interesting varieties. Fortunately there is abundance of material, for Birmingham, as a central point, affords unusual facilities for the study of this branch of petrology. Although the rocks here described appear to be scattered over a rather wide area, it will be found that every locality mentioned may not only be easily reached from one of the railway stations, but that a good series of specimens may be collected and the return journey made within the same day.