296 THE OXFORD OOLITE PERIOD. CHAP 



Dorset and Yorkshire, at Wey mouth and Scarborough, it is other- 

 wise. One railway cutting, near Chippenham, disclosed a variety 

 of ammonites and belemnites and other cephalopods in unusual 

 completeness ; and we have a not inconsiderable series of Crustacea, 

 shells, fishes, and reptiles from the vicinity of Oxford. The deposit 

 fills a broad, low, continuous tract from near Malmesbury, by 

 Cricklade, along the Upper Thames to Oxford, and thence occupies 

 a wide and depressed area by Ottmoor, and the north side of Brill, 

 to Win slow, Bedford, and Huntingdon. Though it appears but 

 little varied in composition as we see it near the surface, a deep 

 boring at Wytham disclosed a considerable diversity. The boring, 

 as reported by the workmen, reached the depth of 633 feet, and 

 passed through fifty-nine layers which appeared to differ in hardness 

 and consistency. 



The following is a summary of the results obtained in this re- 

 markable boring, copied from a section presented to the Oxford 

 Museum, in 1849, by the Earl of Abingdon. The terms employed 

 by the workmen are used in the coal-fields of Staffordshire for strata 

 somewhat analogous : 



Total depth, 

 ft. in. ft. in. 



1. Loamy ground . . . J... . '. \. 12 o 120 



2. Quicksand and water 3 J 5 



3. Blueclunch *..... . . . 68 6 83 6 



4. Light chinch ..._.>. . , . . I 6 85 o 



5. Blue clunch . . v ... . . . 28 6 113 6 



6. Clunch bines . . , . Y ^ .-, f . 46 118 o 



7. Blueclunch . . . , . -". . 29 o 147 o 



8. Clunch bines . . . . . "* .'-*'.' . 2 o 149 o 



9. Blueclunch . . . ' * : -. ^ * . . 28 o 177 o 



10. Brown clunch ...... . , - v ,. . 3 o 180 o 



11. Mingled ground . . . ;..'-,. * r . . II 6 191 



12. Strong grey rock . .... . . . . . I o 192 6 



13. Grey clunch 20 194 6 



14. Brown clunch I 6 196 o 



15. Mingled ground 170 2130 



16. Blue clunch bines . . . . , . . .60 219 o 



17. Mingled ground . . . x . . - . . 40 223 o 



18. Brown clunch . . . . . . . , f . . 17 6 240 6 



19. Mingled ground . ,. ' . . ^ r '^ . . .96 250 o 



20. Blueclunch . . ,',, r ..,-.,- " : -,' . 5 o 255 o 



21. Dark blue rock . . . . . . . ". - . 3 6 258 6 



22. Dark parting clunch . . * . * . ' 1 . "* . . o 6 259 o 



23. Dark blue rock . . '-! , - .' - : '. : .* r : . ' . 26 261 6 



