TT. H. Hudleston — Creechbavroic in Pnrbeck. 253 



Returning for a moment to the limestone (a), it is evident that the 

 face, or bluff, so well marked in the ' Northern Section ' is not 

 a natural one : everything has the appearance of an extensive open 

 working, presumably for ' marl,' yet there is no tradition as to any 

 working here, consequently the period must have been sufiiciently 

 remote. The continuation of this face westwards, usually near the 

 500 feet contour, also has an artificial look about it indicative of 

 former workings. One of the most peculiar circumstances in con- 

 nection with this case is the total absence of any limestone fragments 

 throughout this long line of presumed old workings. The same 

 remark must also be made as to Creechbarrow generally. Had any 

 limestone fragments been found rolling about, the discovery of the 

 limestone must inevitably have followed. I have searched also in 

 old walls and houses for any trace of this limestone, without success. 

 Where stone has been used in these buildings it seems in all cases 

 to be Purbeck stone. Consequently we are faced with the fact that 

 while flints of the Creechbarrow series abound and are characteristic, 

 no single specimen of the Creechbarrow limestone appears on the 

 surface. Eapid disintegration when exposed to the atmosphere can 

 be the only explanation, though in view of the excessive toughness 

 of the hill-top limestone this seems all the more extraordinary. 

 There certainly are some peculiarities in these concretionary lime- 

 stones which we do not fully understand. I mentioned before that 

 in the talus near the summit the limestone was already softened to 

 the consistence of chalk, and now we perceive that in the course of 

 its further descent it passes away altogether as a distinct rock. 



III. Inferences. 



There are many points yet to be considered in connection with 

 Creechbarrow, but the facts detailed in the preceding pages must 

 , suffice at present for a communication which is essentially pre- 

 liminary. The great problem of all, viz., the stratigraphical relation 

 between the Creechbarrow Beds and the Pipeclay series of recognized 

 Bagshot age, is as yet xmcertain. This is a matter of local interest, 

 requiring special illustration in the way of plans, etc., which I hope 

 to bring forward in the Proceedings of the Dorset Field Club. It is 

 certain that the Creechbarrow Beds press the Pipeclay series towards 

 the N.N.E., or, in other words, they are said to ' bulge ' them. This- 

 circumstance is in favour of their being of Bagshot age, and on 

 a lower horizon than the Pipeclay series. On the other hand, the 

 occurrence of limestone in the Bagshots is, so far as I am aware, 

 a phenomenon hitherto unknown in England. Moreover, there is 

 a certain degree of analogy between the Bembridge limestone and 

 the Creechbarrow limestone, which at least renders it possible that 

 the latter may really belong to an Oligocene series. Hitherto it has 

 been a matter of exceeding difficulty to ascertain what are the strati- 

 graphical relations of the Creechbarrow Beds to the Pipeclay series. 

 If the Creechbarrow Beds are of Oligocene age, then there is no great 

 difficulty in supposing that they simply overlie the whole Bagshot 

 series and are cut off on the north. But if they are of Bagshot age^ 



