of iron. In some of the nodules of impure limestone I found, in examining them upon the occasion of a former visit, cavities filled with dried bitumen, and several specimens of a species of Modiola and Coniatites reticulata.
Upon the opposite site of the road, the western, is the famous Windy Knoll Quarry—the scene of the labours of several farmers, of some students of Owens College, Manchester, and last, but not least, of Mr. Rooke Pennington. This quarry is remarkably situated. It is near to the most northern point of the mountain limestone of Derbyshire, and in the direct line of route from the Cheshire plums to the Vale of Hope. To quote the words of Mr. Pennington in the "Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society for May, 1875," "the Yoredale beds dip northwards: a fault runs close to the spot. The line of division between the mountain limestone and the overlying rocks runs, roughly speaking, to S.E. and S.W. of this quarry." But that which has served to render this quarry famous has been the discovery of a fissure filled with the remains of extinct animals. Certainly, it has been a remarkable place. I say it has been, for when I visited it, last August, all trace of it, with the exception of a few splinters of bones, two specimens of the tarsus, and one of the humerus of the Reindeer, had disappeared; the rock having been blown down, and the bones taken away.
It would appear as if this fissure lay in the track of animals making their way from the Cheshire valleys and plains to the Vale of Hope, and that connected with it was a swampy pool, to which they went to drink; that the weak ones stuck fast in the mud, from which they were unable to extricate themselves; that whilst in this predicament they fell an easy prey to bears and wolves, whose bones, in their turn, became mingled with those of their victims. The bones found in this fissure were of all parts of the animals:—The bison (Bison priscus,) the reindeer (Cervus tarrandus,) the grisly bear (Ursus ferox,) the wolf (Canis lupus,) the fox (C. vulpes,) the hare (Lepus timidus,) the rabbit (L. cunniculus,) and the water-vole (Arvicola amphibia.} Before passing on we must notice the remarkable bed of elastic bitumen which is found here, overlying a mass of mountain limestone, on the south side of the quarry. Besides this a great mass of limestone on the north side of the quarry has become so saturated with the bitumen that when placed in a fire it burned with a clear, bright flame. In this last-mentioned limestones I found an internal cast of Euomphalus Dionysii, two species of Productus, two of Athyris, one of Spirifera, and a beautiful specimen of Conocardium minax.
Leaving this interesting quarry we proceed to the Blue John Mine in Traycliff. This mine is the grand depository of the amethystine or topaziue fluor spor, locally called "Blue John," to distinguish it from "Black Jack," or zinc ore. This substance is composed of lime and fluoric acid, the most penetrative and corrosive of any acid known, the blue colouring matter being oxide of manganese. Descending by a flight of steps, a narrow confined passage is reached, that winds between the rocks. From the roof of this passage stalactites are pendant, whilst in the sides crystals of carbonate of lime glisten. After descending for a short time,
