458 Morris — Ferruginous Sands of JBucJcingkamshire. 



but not in situ, are blocks of compact brown sandstone, containing 

 casts of Unio {U. Gaulteri?) Cyrena, Paludina, and traces of plants. 

 The sands themselves contain impressions of shells as Lima undata 

 Desh., Pecten distriatus, P. Cottaldinus ? Exogyra sinuata, Bhynchonella 

 antidichotoma, Ostrea macroptera, Spondylus, Teredo and Pliolas (PJio- 

 ladideay CornuelUana. Many Foraminifera, Eotalina, etc., some 

 small corals and Bryozoa, and large pieces of coniferous wood, in 

 some decomposed portions of which casts of a boring shell were 

 observed ; no phosphatic nodules were noticed, or fossils derived 

 from other strata, except the Freshwater sandstone above noticed. 



These sands may be traced in part of Hartwell Park. At Lock's 

 pit,^ on the Thame road, just beyond the Hartwell grounds, a 

 section from five to twelve feet deep, presented, in the lower part, 

 fawn-coloured sands, with thin darker, sometimes carbonaceous, 

 layers, very irregular, overlain by sandy clays and impure fuller's 

 earth and coarse sands above, but no fossils. Further on the road, 

 at the white sand-pit, a better section was exposed, consisting, in 

 descending order, of coarse ferruginous sand, sandy clay, fuller's 

 earth, shaley clay and grey sand, large lenticular, but not continuous, 

 masses of pisolitic hydrated oxide of iron, reposing on an uneven 

 surface of white sand, containing large irregular hard siliceous 

 concretions, assuming very grotesque forms called 'bowel-stones,' 

 this sand is about 20 feet thick.^ 



Beyond Stone Church, opposite the Vicarage, and near the wind- 

 mill, large excavations have been made for some years past, showing 

 the coarse ferruginous sands and associated beds, but not so definitely 

 as at the white sand-pit ;* and extensive openings on the right of 

 the road from Stone to Eythorpe, exhibit similar white ferruginous 

 and coarse sands. Some years since, during the progress of the 

 excavations in the sand-pit, and along the road opposite the vicarage, 

 human remains and various implements were found, affording evi- 

 dence that this spot was used as a burial-ground during the Eoman 



1 This appears to be a variety of P. CornuelUana, d'Orb, and is probably identical 

 with the P. Ballasi, "Walker ; a similar form occurs at Farringdon, and at Seend, 

 in Wiltshire. 



2 In going from the ' Bugle ' to this section, we first observe the large stone-pit of 

 Purbeck and Portland beds, uncovered by sands, -which only set in as we ascend the 

 hill towards Stone. 



3 These concretions were used as ornaments in the neighbourhood. A large 

 number may be seen built into the wall of Hartwell Park, as well as fine specimens 

 of Ammonites giganteus : the wall itself is of Portland stone, from the adjacent quarry, 

 and the date of building picked out with the Hampden stone. The sand has been 

 extensively worked, and sent to Birmingham for glass making, the finer and whiter 

 portions have realized \l. Is. a ton, and other portions about 8s. to 12s. per ton. 

 Large globes and prisms of glass, made from this sand, are in the Hartwell Museum. 



* The following section was formerly exposed : — 



Coarse sand and pebbles 4 feet. 



Ferruginous sandstone and rock 6 inches. 



Imperfectly stratified clay (fuller's earth ?) 4 inches. 



Ferruginous sand 1 foot. 



Grey sandy clay 1 foot. 



"White and grey sand, wavy and irregular, with carstone and 



ironstone 8 feet. 



