174 



Post-office. From this I obtained a very good specimen of Cah/mcne Blumoi- 

 backii ; and here are fragments of Llandovery sandstone, as well as of the Wenlock 

 and Ludlow rocks, imbedded in a similar matrix to that at Woolhope. 



A few yards beyond the Old Mill, there is a section of Drift from 20 to 30 

 feet in height, containing rolled and water-worn Silurian Fossils mostly from 

 the "Wenlock limestone, of which there are numerous pieces, varying in size and 

 shape throughout the mass, containing Rhyncondhc, Lcptccna, Bellerophon, and 

 part of an Orthoceras, all more or less worn, and therefore undeterminable 

 specifically. 



The abraded condition of these fossils in the Drift here and elsewhere 

 in the district, seems to indicate a violent aqueous action within the area de- 

 scribed, for it is evident that the fossils it contains were, for the most part, of 

 local origin, and not brought from any great distance. At the base of this 

 Drift may be seen large tabular blocks of the Ludlow and Wenlock Limestone 

 intermingled with smaller fragments. Above this is a somewhat remarkable 

 bed of red sand from one to two feet in thickness without the intermixture of 

 any other material. And above this again, the Drift is mainly composed of 

 smaller fragments of Silurian rocks with the occurrence of larger ones occa- 

 sionally. 



This accumulation of Drift extends nearly all the way to the hill under 

 Westwood, beyond the new bridge leading to Holme Lacey. After passing Ser- 

 pent's Lane, which is at the end of "Westwood, begins the Mordiford Drift, 

 which is a continuation of that at Fownhope, interrupted by the high ground 

 "under Westwood. This Drift is well known, and has been already described in 

 your proceedings, and is the only one in this district which has been hitherto 

 referred to. There is a great similarity in the two Drifts, though the one above 

 described is considerably the largest. It is impossible to form any opinion as to 

 how far it may have extended from the Ludlow rocks, which form the boundary 

 on this side of the upheaved strata. The section which is now exposed to view is 

 from 100 to 200 yards from them, and of a thickness of from 20 to 30 feet. 

 Assuming that that was its greatest thickness at, say even 100 yards from the 

 Ludlow rocks, how far beyond its present position it may have extended, or how 

 much thicker it may be, must be left entirely to conjecture. At present the 

 river "Wye runs within a few yards of the section near the timber yard, which it 

 washes in floods, and has scarped. But there was a period, and I think I am 

 borne out in my conjecture by the present appearance of its shores, if I may be 

 allowed to use that term, when either the river Wye ran immediately beneath 

 the road from Mordiford to Fownhope (a considerable length of which is 

 formed over Drift), or else, which I am inclined to think most probable, the 

 whole tract of level land extending from Hereford above Lugg Bridge and as 

 far as Weston Beggard, was one large lake, fed by the rivers Wye, Lugg, and 

 Froome — the head or termination of which was at Capley. 



If any one will examine the banks of the Lugg anywhere about Hamp- 

 ton, he will see that the soil through which it runs is entirely alluvial ; and 



