Geological Excursion to Cheltenham, etc. 627 



phy of the earth whilst they were being accumulated. The shells 

 are all small, and appear to have lived in brackish water. In these 

 deposits the remarkable bed known as the " Aust Bone Bed " is 

 found. This section can be so admirably studied at Garden Cliff, 

 and each bed in succession taken as it rises on the shore, that it has 

 long been the favourite haunt of the geologist. After demonstrating 

 all the beds, the Director embarked his party in three tubs of boats, 

 and, at the risk of shipwreck, the passage of the Severn was accom- 

 plished, and dry land regained. Mr. Lucy showed them the Lias at 

 Fretherne, and its relation to the other beds in the valley, and they 

 reached the Berkeley Canal in time for the steamer's return from 

 Sharpness. They dined at Gloucester and returned home by the 

 10.30 P.M. train, having enjoyed a pleasant day, although they had 

 attempted rather more than they could compass with ease and 

 advantage. 



July 24th. — Tewkesbury, Deerhurst, Wainlode Cliff, and Apperley 

 Court, formed this day's excursion ; Directors, the Rev. W. y. 

 Symonds, F.G.S., Mr. James Parker, F.G.S. (Oxford), and Dr. 

 Wright, F.K.S.E. The Abbey was described by the Vicar, who 

 read a short paper on some of its leading features, and the historical 

 part of the subject was critically examined in a masterly way by Mr. 

 Parker. After a stroll through the building, the party were invited 

 to meet under the Grand Norman Arch, and Mr. Taut, Photographer, 

 of Oxford, succeeded in taking a good picture of the group. Prom 

 the Abbey, the walk was over the Battlefield to Tewkesbury Park, 

 where Mr. Sargeaunt refreshed the party. 



Mr, Symonds gave an address on the historical associations of the 

 ground around them, and the party then drove to Deerhurst Church, 

 where Mr. Parker ably described this fine edifice, the dedication 

 stone of which (1002) is now preserved in the Oxford Museum. 



The party now proceeded to Wainlode Clilf, to see another section 

 of the Avicula contorta beds. Dr. Wright gave a demonstration of 

 this section from the Severn bank, and brought together the details 

 of the various sections of the same beds they had seen to-day at 

 Coombe Hill, and yesterday at Garden Cliff. He described the 

 possible conditions under which they were deposited, and the great 

 physical change coming over the region in which they are found. 

 They indicated the dawning of the Jurassic epoch, and the shores of 

 that ocean in which the Saurian monsters of the Secondary age first 

 made their appearance on our shores. The geologists made some 

 good finds in the bone bed. The party then returned to Apperley 

 Court, to enjoy a sumptuous dinner, to which the members of the 

 Association had been specially invited by Miss Strickland, the ladj'' 

 of the domain, who received the members in her usual genial 

 happy manner. Several friends and neighbours also had now 

 joined the gathering. After the banquet, speeches were delivered by 

 Sir W, Guise, the Eev. W. S. Symonds, and Mr. Jones, of London, 

 eulogizing in warm terms the Strickland family as promoters of 

 Natural Science. Mr. Symonds described the Mammalian remains 



