608 Petrifying Spring at Pounceford. 



pence, and it is in high repute amongst the agriculturists of 

 this part of Sussex. A few bones of the Crocodilus priscus 

 were found in the calciferous grit excavated for the roads, 

 near Brightling, some years ago ; and the publican at Bur- 

 wash Wheel, at whose house I put up, gave me a solitary oyster 

 from the same deposit. The beds, with the exception of the 

 violently contorted strata in "the Gill" afore-mentioned, are 

 almost horizontal, dipping at a slight angle to the north-by- 

 east. 



In Mantell's highly valuable work on the Geology of the 

 South-East of England^ is a drawing and description of the 

 incrustating spring at Pounceford. He states that it forms an 

 inconsiderable cascade over a rock of sandstone, and, pursuing 

 a tortuous course, " deposits carbonate of lime on every ex- 

 traneous body that lies in its channel, converting the mosses 

 and other vegetables, within the reach of its waters, into masses 

 of calcareous tufa." The specimens in Mantell's possession 

 are incrustations of leaves, mosses, .Equiseta, &c. M When 

 recently collected, the moss on the surface was green and 

 flourishing, and had evidently continued to vegetate, although 

 the roots, &c, were completely "embedded in the stone." (Geol. 

 South-East of England, p. 22.) This water was never analysed ; 

 and the spring, after gradually diminishing every year in its 

 lapidescent powers, has, at length, entirely been lost. In a 

 deserted shaft, however, of the limestone, a deposit of cal- 

 careous earth from water is gradually taking place. I procured 

 a pint bottle full, from the ' largest drip ' (as the quarryman 

 termed it), at about 70 ft. from the surface ; for which pur- 

 pose I waded knee-deep for nearly a quarter of a mile. The 

 roof was covered with small stalactites, none of them exceed- 

 ing 3 in. or 4 in. in length : some fagots, placed here some years 

 ago to prop up the roof, as well as several pieces of wood 

 which had fallen into the water, which will in time, if not 

 checked, completely fill up the shaft, had become gradually 

 petrified or converted into stone. Some years ago, in a block 

 of rock formed by this deposition, which was soft when ex- 

 cavated, though it hardened on exposure to the air, was dis- 

 covered a perfect skeleton of a hare : which had evidently 

 fallen in from a fissure above, and gradually become entombed 

 in calcareous matter. The bones, my informant (the head 

 quarryman) told me, were beautifully white. 



Sandgale, July 28. 1835. 



