TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION C. 615 



At a few points bosses of boulder clay protrude even here through the upper bed, 

 Tvhilst elsewhere depressions are filled with brick-clays, now extensively worked. 



Gravels. — The gravel beds at Fulford nnd on the opposite side of the Ouse are 

 much alike. The latter, however, are placed higher. The beds are irregular, often 

 roughly stratified, often with sand-beds and stones, from grit to boulders of a 

 quarter-ton weight. The stones are precisely the same as those in the boulder 

 clay ; some limestone boulders are still striated. On both sides of the river, 2.5 

 feet down at one point in Fulford, a black band of manganese has been found 

 yielding on analysis 00 per cent, of manganese dioxide. This looks like soot, 

 encrusting usually the upper half of a layer of dry stones, one foot thick. The 

 rest and adjacent beds are brown with the sesquioxide, whilst ferrous oxide comes 

 just below. 



At the gravel pits now being worked on the Bishopthorpe Road a metatarsal 

 •of Ursus spel<eus (or of the grizzly) was found this spring. There seems to be no 

 previous record of any carnivorous remains from this neighbourhood. 



Glacial Sections. — The deepest glacial sections were made in drainage-work 

 at the Friends' Retreat, in 1876, a drift, 6-50 feet long, cutting through the hill 

 from N.W. by W. to S.E. by E. At the highest point this was 47 feet below 

 the surface. Shafts were sunk every 50 feet. Nothing but glacial beds were met, 

 tough boulder clays, gravelly beds, and sand-beds. The latter were variously 

 inclined and much cut up, rarely continuing any great distance. Indeed every- 

 thing pointed to the whole mass being made up of independent parts, heaped and 

 piled against each other. The third sand-bed was struck at the fifth shaft, the 

 tough clay having been remarkably dry and crumbly for a yard above it, although 

 the shaft was flooded with water higher up. At the first tap into the sand there 

 "was a great escape of gas, scaring the workmen away altogether for the four or five 

 days it lasted. The probable explanation is that the sand-bed was close sealed by 

 the clay, with orifices only near the base by which water could enter or leave. 

 In dry seasons the line of saturation falling below these, the sand was left dry, 

 with air only between the grains. The previous season was very wet ; the line of 

 saturation was at least 15 feet above the top of the sand. The contained air, 

 unable to escape, was compressed into the upper part and slowly forced upwards 

 into the boulder clay above until released by the workman's pick. At least 7,000 

 feet of air must have come off, but probably much more. 



Between Shafts VIII. and IX. boulders were encoimtered by the men too big 

 to remove ; they thought some must have been of a ton weight. The largest 

 brought up weighed about 600 pounds, which is as much as any I have found 

 in situ near York, except, possibly, one still to be seen on the Moant. Some of 

 those in the Museum grounds must weigh more. Among other stones two lumps 

 ■of coal were brought up. 



The most extensive series of sections are those on the site of the New Goods 

 Station. For this a level was obtained 4 acres or so in extent, and 3 to 12 feet 

 below the old surface. Unfortunately there are no records of the sections made 

 in this part. Starting from the lower level, a series of sections covering 2^ acres 

 was obtained about the building, reaching in one or two points 14 feet lower. 

 These were chiefly exposed in the cellarage at the east endj but drainage and 

 foundation trenches gave sections of varying depth in all parts. From these it has 

 been possible to draw up a pretty complete plan of the beds. In the S. W. part 

 these prove to be alluvial sands and laminated clays, forming a thin coat over the 

 glacial deposits. Only about 3 feet of soil were removed from the S.W. corner, the 

 depth increasing from this point. Looking at the ground-plan we are immediately 

 struck by the regular strike of all the beds from S.E. to N.W. Examining the 

 more complete sections at the E. end, they are found to consist of series of folds of 

 clays, sands, and pebbles, resting against one central fold. The black and red 

 boulder clays share, this peculiarity with the sands. In these last it is more evident 

 in two of the beds, from the pure black clay coming in bands and masses. The 

 whole appearance suggests the work of an iceberg, ploughing up from the S.W. 

 and pushing these beds before it. Diagrams and photographs were exhibited, to 

 illustrate the characteristic points here indicated. 



