THE 



WILTSHIRE MAGAZINE, 



MULTORUM MANIBUS GRANDE LEVATUR ONUS." Ovid. 



§u % §taMor& Clag anfr its $mxk: 



By Mr. Cunntngton, F.G.S. 

 Read before the Meeting of the Society at Bradford-on-Avon, 

 August 12th, 1857. 



ALTHOUGH I should have been better satisfied had some 

 local geologist occupied my place upon this occasion, still I 

 feel it a duty, to the best of my ability, to bring before you a 

 subject specially interesting from its connexion with the place of 

 our assembling: the Bradford Clay and its Fossils. We should I 

 think, as a Society, make it our object to investigate fully the 

 Archaeology and Natural History of the particular locality in 

 which our Annual Meeting is held. The first of these has been 

 ably elucidated by the Rev. W. H. Jones in his paper of yesterday 

 morning, and I would now, "haud passibus cequis," endeavour to 

 supply a portion of the second, by giving you a sketch of the geo- 

 logical history of the neighbourhood. 



I have the more cheerfully prepared a second notice of the Geo- 

 logy of Wiltshire, having been assured of the willingness of our 

 much respected Ex-President, Mr. G. Poulett Scrope, to continue 

 the series. 1 



The stratum known as the Bradford clay, is of marine origin, 

 and consists of a bed of pale yellowish or grey clay, with occasional 

 thin layers of irregular limestone and calcareous grit, lying under 

 the Forest Marble, and above the Great Oolite and Fullers' earth. 



It may be well studied in the quarries at Berefield, on the north 



1 Since the above was written, Mr. Scrope's first paper on Wiltshire Geology 

 has been published in the Magazine, vol. v. p. 89. A foretaste with which the 

 members must have been much gratified. 



VOL. VI. NO. XVI. B 



