196 PROCEEDINGS COTTESWOLD CLUB 1903 
The section was discovered in the exceptionally dry 
August of 1899, attention being attracted by the great 
number of shells in a certain brown arenaceous deposit 
at the water level. This section showed in descending 
order (1) normal dark brown Alluvium; (2) shell marl of — 
a greyish colour; (3) the brown arenaceous deposit liter- 
ally crowded with shells; (4) a thin accumulation of 
gravel containing lenticular patches of dark blue clay ; and 
(5) dark blue clay: but whether it was Kimmeridge Clay 
or Gault it was impossible to say. The whole of the 
Holocene deposits rest in a hollow excavated out of the 
low-level gravels: a hollow eroded by the river when its 
volume of water had so decreased that it had to cut 
through the plane of its former deposition. 
Lithologically, three distinct deposits of Holocene age 
were noted on our first visit, but unfortunately, on two 
subsequent visits—owing to the excessive erosion of the 
bank at this spot, and the volume of water in the river— 
it was impossible to find the base as recognised in 1899. 
More extended observations, however, showed that there 
were no other sections visible which would admit of 
division into three separate beds—thus subdivided on 
lithological grounds. Material was sent to Mr A. S. 
Kennard from the Alluvium as bed A, the shell marl as 
bed B, and a few hand specimens from the arenaceous 
deposit (collected in 1899) as C. The total thickness of 
this section, as seen in 1899, did not exceed 9 feet. Near 
the weir, the Alluvium is seen resting upon the gravel 
without any intervening deposits. 
The low-level gravels are well exposed in two pits near 
the Barley Mow Inn at Clifton Hampden, and contain 
many derived fossils, such as Wontlivaltia, Thecosmilia, 
Gryphea, Belemnites, and Rhynchonella. The constitu- 
ents of the gravel, relative to size, vary considerably. In 
that pit nearest to the Barley Mow Inn, they are mainly 
