l8o ADAMSON : AT THE FOOT OP" THE WOLDS. 



first uncovered, but unfortunately was in a very friable state and 

 crumbled into fragments. A mammalian bone had just been bared, 

 but it was impossible to determine it. However, instructions were 

 left to avoid, if possible, a repetition of the catastrophe attending 

 the former. 



Mr. Lamplugh gives the following section of this pit : — Top soil, 

 &c, 2^ feet ; rough stony gravel, with some sand, and containing 

 pebbles of flint, sandstone, red chalk, oolitic limestone, and other 

 local rocks, also a few well-worn erratic pebbles of felstone, quartzite, 

 &c, besides rolled lumps of clay and thin seams of clay and of 

 carbonaceous matter, about 9 feet ; yellow sand with stony layers, 

 the stones included similar to those in gravel above, about 5 feet ; 

 then succeed some hard grey or whitish clays, probably belonging 

 to estuarine Oolites, but thickness uncertain. In the yellow sand 

 the mammoth's tusk was found. There was little to add to the 

 above enumeration of pebbles found in this gravel by the members, 

 but a large block of mountain limestone was broken, and many good 

 examples of Gryphcea incurva were obtained from the gravel. Flints, 

 of course, were predominant. This pit showed splendid examples 

 of cross-bedding. The varying currents must have been swift, in 

 fact, almost torrential. Here and there in the upper gravels 'pipes,' 

 or roughly-shaped pillars, descending from the top soil, are to be 

 seen ; these have probably been caused by the decomposition of 

 tree roots and stems, the cavities being filled up by earthy and 

 calcareous matter, which have since, by percolation of water, become 

 very compact and hard, so much so, that we were told they could be 

 left standing as pillars whilst quarrying or digging was going on. 

 After a lengthened but deeply interesting stay in this pit, Mr. Lyon 

 conducted the party to ascend the towers of his mansion close by, 

 named Castle House. This was for the view to be there obtained, 

 which, as the house stands in a grand position on the summit of 

 Mill Hill, is very wide and magnificent. In front we were looking 

 over the fertile vale of York, with spires and towers of village 

 churches dotted here and there ; a dark pall of smoke indicated the 

 locality of Goole ; then could be seen the confluence of Ouse and 

 Trent, forming the majestic Humber ; very prominent, too, was the 

 Oolitic escarpment at Whitton, in Lincolnshire ; further east the 

 Chalk Wolds of that county ; then, turning round, we had a fine 

 prospect of our own Yorkshire Wolds. When standing on this 

 vantage-point, one must think of the scene in bygone centuries, when 

 probably from this very hill the Roman general would watch the 

 passage of his legions over the Humber, on their way from Lindum 

 to Eboracum, for did not the eastern branch of Ermyn Street, coming 



Naturalist. 



