528 ox THE DEEP BORIXG AT EICHilOXD, STJEEEY. 



dip rendered it more probable than ever that the red beds were 

 of Palaeozoic age. 



Prof. Peestwich said that the section was the most interesting 

 yet recorded in the London district. The observation of the dip 

 was new and important, as it coincided with the previous one 

 noticed at ITeux's Brewery, as well as those at Harwich and Kentish 

 Town, and tended to show that the beds are probably not Xew but 

 Old Eed Sandstone like the Devonians of western England and 

 the north of France. The temperature-observations agreed very 

 nearly with those made at Kentish Town. 



^r. Baueeisiax remarked that the paper dealt with one of the 

 most interesting subjects in the geology of southern England. He 

 regretted that the Oxford Clay had again made its appearance in 

 the Chatham boring, as showing a probable great thickness of the 

 Oolites. The occurrence of Old Eed at Richmond was also disap- 

 pointing. He thought that a boring was wanted in the Kennet 

 Valley between Eeading and Devizes. 



Mr. ToPLEY said that the establishment of fixed horizons in the 

 Chalk underlying London would aid greatly in mapping the sub- 

 divisions of that formation to. the south. He regretted the absence of 

 Mr. TThitaker, who, with Mr. Xewton, had been engaged in working 

 out the question. Mr. Creswick had washed out the fossils from 

 the Chatham boring, and he had the credit of being the first to 

 suggest their Oxford-Clay age. He had himself called attention to 

 the Chatham boring when Prof. Judd's previous paper was read, 

 but at that time, no fossils having been obtained, he supposed that 

 the Oxfordian beds were TTealden. He suggested a comparison of the 

 bottom-beds of the Eichmond well. with specimens from the Cross- 

 ness boring now exhibited. He also called attention to a specimen 

 from the bottom-beds of the Harwich boring, in which Posido- 

 nomya was said to have occurred. 



Prof. T. ErPEET Joxes stated that the Posidonomya from the 

 Harwich boring was examined by him, and undoubtedly belonged to 

 that genus. He asked whether the Oxford Clay at Chatham con- 

 tained Entomostraca as some Wiltshire specimens did. 



Dr. C. Le !N"eve Eostee inquired whether Prof. Judd was satisfied 

 that the boring was vertical, as borings with the diamond-drill fre- 

 quently deviated much from their initial direction at no considerable 

 depth. This was of much importance in considering the question 

 of dip as determined from the cores extracted. 



Prof. JiJDD said that he would not enter into the vexed question 

 of the age of the beds. All the evidence which could be obtained 

 was given in the paper, but it was admitted that uncertainty still 

 remained. In the case of the Eichmond well the boring could not 

 have deviated much from the vertical direction. 



i 



