Manchester, S., and L. Raihoay Extensmi. 57 



Boulder-clay. About a mile further south this Boulder-clay is seen 

 to be roughly interstratified with beds of sand and warpy clay 

 which run down towards the north. 



On approaching Dunton Basset we come to one of the deepest 

 cuttings in this part of the line, but from the sloping down of the 

 banks as the work was being carried on it was not easy to see the 

 exact relationship of the beds. At the northern end, however, near 

 the road to Ashby Magna, there is an extensive outcrop of sand, 

 which is banked against or rests on the Boulder-clay further south. 

 This Boulder-clay is of the usual chalky character, but is I'emarkable 

 from its containing a large mass of Middle Lias limestone crammed 

 full of Rhynchonella, which measured 12 feet across, and of which 

 12 feet were exposed above the rails ; how far it may have extended 

 in the other directions could not be seen. At the tunnel under the 

 road there is a fine section showing about 35 feet of yellowish 

 Boulder-clay resting on 13 feet of sand and gravel. This gravel, 

 which dips to the north, is better exposed on the south side of 

 the tunnel, where it crops out and is seen to be succeeded by a band 

 of clay and then more sands and gravels. These gravels ai"e very 

 irregularly stratified, and are composed mostly of chalk flints and 

 pebbles. They must have a considerable thickness just here ; and, 

 including the band of clay, cannot be less than 50 feet or more. 



At Cotes de Val 19 feet of a very hard chalky Boulder-clay were 

 proved in the foundations of the bridge, and at the next bridge 

 crossing the road to Gilmorton there were 17 feet of gravel, showing 

 that there are many variations in the beds, but the cuttings do not 

 throw any light on their relation. This chalky clay, which contains 

 a great quantity of Lias and sandstone boulders, as well as a few 

 Carboniferous limestones, extends all the way to Lutterworth, 

 where we reach another great deposit of stratified sand and gravel. 

 These gravels have been proved to a depth of 40 feet ; they contain 

 bands of chalky clay, and appear to abut against the Boulder-clay 

 on the west in a somewhat abrupt manner. 



The foundations of the bridge over the stream at Lutterworth 

 are sunk through 10 feet of alluvium into beds of grey shaly Lias 

 limestone. I could find no fossils in this limestone, so am unable 

 to say what horizon has been struck here ; but the section is 

 interesting, as this is the only point at which the underlying 

 rocks have been met with between the Soar valley at Whetstone 

 and the Avon at Kugby. 



At the road just south of this bridge 2 feet 6 inches of "Red 

 Marl" was found over 15 feet of sand. I did not see this section, 

 but Mr. Collinson, the resident engineer, states that it was exactly 

 like Keuper Marl ; if so, it must have been a drifted mass. Above 

 this comes a Boulder-clay with seams of sand, and at the top of the 

 hill about 15 feet of gravel and loam with many chalk fragments, 

 and a few large Jurassic bouhlers. South of Lutterworth there are 

 shallow cuttings in Chalky Boulder-clay with a little sand and 

 gravel here and there for a distance of two miles, but no sections 

 of any importance. At Shawell the cutting shows stiff blue 



