which the village of Purton stands. But the line soon passes 

 on to the " Kimmericlge Clay," which it traverses imtil the 

 Station at Swindon brings ns to the foot of the Hill of "Portland 

 Oolite " on which the town of " Old Swindon " is built. 



We have thus passed over this vast succession of beds, 

 accumulated in ancient sea-bottoms and filled with special forms 

 of life, together comprising one of those groups of life-history 

 having certain characters in common, on which Geologists have 

 bestowed the term "Jurassic," from the Jura in Switzerland, 

 which is composed entirely of these beds. 



The meeting at Swindon was but thinly attended, nevertheless 

 the programme was an attractive one. It comprised a visit to 

 the works of the Great Western Eailway at Swindon, and an 

 excursion into the country around Swindon as far as Barbury 

 Camp. 



The Eailway works alone were deserving of a special visit. 

 The manager, Mr. Akmstrong, kindly conducted the Club through 

 the various departments, explaining the principal objects of 

 interest in passing. The process of casting and rolling the iron 

 rails was very interesting, as was likewise the action of the 

 planing machines, by which the iron was smoothed or grooved 

 with as much facility as if it had been so much wood. The 

 carriage department was likewise visited, and the construction 

 of a first class carriage explained in all its details. The round 

 of the works having been completed, Mr. Akmstkong kindly 

 invited the members of the Club to luncheon, an invitation 

 which met with very cordial acceptance. 



At 1.30 the members assembled at the Goddard Arms at Old 

 Swindon, from whence, after a visit to the quarries,. the party 

 proceeded in a break and pair by way of Wroughton to Barbury 

 Camp. At Wroughton they diverged a little, and sending the 

 carriage round to meet them at the top of the hill, they passed 

 through a pretty wooded dell called Overton Combe, where the 

 reservoir for the supply of Swindon with water is placed on the 

 "Gault Clay," the porous beds of the "Upper Greensand" above, 

 being the sponge which collects the waters. Regaining their 

 carriage they followed a bone-setting track to the foot of the 

 Chalk escarpment, on the summit of which is placed the 



