SOUTHAMPTON ARTESIAN WELLS. 87 



of horse and deer; and as the tertiary strata are 

 in a great measure obscured by the superficial 

 deposits, there are no productive localities of 

 fossils in the immediate vicinity of Southampton. 

 The nature of the strata to a considerable depth, 

 has been ascertained by the borings lately under- 

 taken to obtain a more ample supply of water for 

 the inhabitants, than that yielded by the numerous 

 private wells in the town. These are sunk through 

 the bed of gravel which overlies the London clay, 

 to a depth of from 10 to 25 feet, this clay forming 

 the water shed or natural tank of the surrounding 

 district. At the railway station an Artesian well, 

 which overflows from a depth of 220 feet at the 

 rate of ten gallons per minute, was formed by 

 boring till the beds of sand of the plastic clay, 

 which lie between the London clay and the chalk, 

 were reached ; the water in this well rises, there- 

 fore, from the same geological source as the springs 

 near London. 



A few years since it was resolved to obtain a 

 more copious and constant supply for the town, 

 by sinking an Artesian well on the Common. The 

 operations were commenced in 1838, and have 

 now reached a depth of 1,260 feet, at an expense 

 of 24,000/. The following is the section made 

 by the borings : — 



