256

In Saxony and Silesia Coal is said, and Ibelieve with reason, to lie beneath the oldred rock ; in the North of England it liessometimes above the mountain limestone,sometimes beneath it. That, which is raisedin the eastern moorlands of Yorkshire , isassociated with rocks of a more recentepoch even than the lias. There is scarcelyone of the secondary beds in which coal hasnot been observed, although perhaps of badquality, and in beds of insufficient thicknessto pay the ex pence of working them.

Even between the primary and second-ary “ formations” the line of demarcationis far less distinct than has generally beensupposed. Green-stone and slate are foundin every formation. I have a specimenfrom the West Indies , of a greenstone,which has every character of the primitiveexcept that it contains shells. Hornstoneporphyry occurs, as a flotz rock, in Arran ;granular marble, in Dalmatia ; serpentine, inFifeshire ; mica-slate, in the Valais ; graniteand sienite, in Saxony and Norway . 4 On

* Wild’s Salines, p. 75.