Mr. "Webster oti the Strata lying over the Chalk. 189 



below Christchurch, Is well known, on account of its fossils, which 

 are found in a very perfect state. They have been collected and 

 very accurately described by Mr. Brander and Dr. Solander. 



At Stubbington, a few miles west of Portsmouth, the same stratum 

 of blue clay with much green earth is visible, in a low cliff, with 

 the same fossils as at Alum bay and Hordwell : the strata being 

 horizontal. The fossils here, as at Alum bay, though numerous, 

 are in a very fragile state ; minute nummulites are extremely 

 abundant. 



Portsmouth Is built upon this stratum, and several deep wells 

 sunk there afford us much information. James Hay, Esq. F.L.S. 

 kindly furnished me with the following account of the sinkings at 

 that place. 

 *' 1. Vegetable mould. 



2. Yellow loam, of which excellent bricks are made. 



3. Yellow gravel, composed of rounded siliceous pebbles and 

 sand, from 4 ft. 6 in. to 10 feet thick. In some places, towards the 

 bottom, the sand abounds ; and, generally, within a few feet of the 

 blue clay, is very fine, and in many places is of a greenish colour. 

 In the yellow gravel are found many organic remains, siliceous, and 

 all rounded by attrition. In a few instances singular bones have 

 been discovered. 



4. An immense bed of blue clay, which in many places at the 

 surface is mixed with sand strata. At the depth of 30 feet it Is 

 traversed by a thin stratum of white pebbles. Many wells are 

 dug to this stratum, which contains water, but of a hard quality. 

 At the depth of 60 feet another similar stratum is found, containing 

 water also, and of a softer quality. No wells had been sunk lower 

 than this last stratum, until within 15 years ago, when a well was 

 dug in the Dock Yard, to the depth of 202 feet. Excellent 



