100 



there Avas no audience to listen to the geological notes prepared 

 by the Secretary, he contented himself vnth a quiet chat with his 

 companion on the evidence of denudation which abounded on all 

 sides, how the vast mass of Old Eed, estimated as 10,000 feet 

 thick, had here and there disappeared through the agency of 

 rain, rivers and frost. In one place the softer beds of the 

 formation had yielded easily and rounded hills and wide valleys 

 been the result ; in another a capping of harder beds, as was the 

 case with the Sugarloaf on which they were standing, had pro- 

 tected the underlying beds from destruction and formed a lofty 

 hill. After an enjoyable rest and an easy descent Abergavenny 

 was reached (the whole ascent having taken three hours) and 

 the train entered for Newport. At Pontyi>ool road the rest of the 

 party appeared, having spent a few hours pleasantly at Eaglan 

 amid archery, ruins and refreshments. 



Swindon Quarries. — A fresh autumn morning brought out the 

 members of the Club in full force on Tuesday, October 9th, and 

 caused a great run upon the return-tickets for Swindon, by the 

 9.15 train; the object of this the last excursion of the season 

 being to examine the geology of the Swindon district, and, if time 

 allowed, to visit the vast locomotive department of the Great 

 Western Eailway, which is so rapidly developing at that place. 

 Mr. Chas. Moore at once took the initiative so soon as the 

 members had collected together at Swindon and led them to a 

 brick pit immediately to the south of the Wilts and Berkshire 

 canal. The material which is worked here for the bricks belongs 

 to the upper beds of the Kimmeridge clay and is known in the 

 scientific world for the discovery of the remains of large reptiles 

 of the lizard tribe to one of which the name of Omosaurus armatus 

 has been given by Professor Owen. Mr. Moore, eager for the 

 fray, at once launched into a description of the interesting geology 

 of the district, and after speaking of the great development of this 

 clay in the ueighbourliood of Kimmeridge (whence its name) said 

 that probably the thickness of the deposit here did not equal that 



