182 Mr Fisher, On a Well-sinking, 



A little water came into the bore hole, and it was salt. 



I have visited this well twice, once on July 5, when the Boulder 

 clay had been pierced, and the boring was in progress in Oxford 

 clay at the depth of 95 feet ; but my son, the Rev. 0. P. Fisher, 

 who became Rector of Graveley after the work was commenced, 

 had previously from time to time brought me specimens. 



I visited the well again October 14, a few days after the work 

 was stopped, and looking over the stuff that had been thrown out 

 found little that was new. But I brought away some of the mud 

 obtained by punching at the bottom of the bore-hole, thinking 

 that it might afford evidence of the nature of the rock at that 

 depth. It is, however, necessarily mixed with Oxford clay scraped 

 off the bore-hole higher up by the action of the rods. This mud 

 I have washed, and think that the residue proves that the rock 

 did not consist simply of indurated Oxford clay, but was Oolitic. 

 A few small fragments which my son obtained from the workmen 

 point in the same direction, and are very similar to the matrix of 

 some Cornbrash fossils in the Sedgwick museum*. This identi- 

 fication is important, as giving the thickness of what remains of 

 the Oxford clay at the locality. 



The Boulder clay is of a dark blue colour when wet, and 

 somewhat sandy, full of rounded and scratched pebbles of chalk, 

 mostly small, a few larger pieces like potatoes, bits of sharply 

 broken black flint, but no flint pebbles. Red chalk was not 

 uncommon, and bits of Kimmeridge shale, highly inflammable. 

 The rocks were almost entirely cretaceous or Jurassic. Mr Harmer, 

 however, reported carboniferous limestone among some specimens 

 sent to him. Some larger stones were found towards the bottom 

 of the Boulder clay which were probably derived septaria. 



Many boulders are to be seen scattered about the village. 

 I noticed a block of a basaltic rock, and a well-scratched piece 

 of carboniferous limestone, at the entrance to Mr Ashcroffc's 

 farm. 



The Oxford clay contained many rather undersized shells of 

 Gryphea dilatata with both valves united. 



The Cornbrash consisted chiefly of comminuted shells with a 

 few Oolitic grains. Occurring, as it does, 150 feet below sea level, 

 the colour is dark instead of the brownish -yellow one commonly 

 finds in Oolitic stone. This is, I think, the first instance 

 of a member of the lower Oolites being met with in East 

 Anglia. 



I was told that water had been reached at the depth of 

 60 feet at Yelling, a mile to the south of Graveley. I think 



* From Turvey 8 miles W.N.W. from Bedford, on the western confines of 

 Bedfordshire. 



