390 
THE GEOLOGIST. 
Nicholson's part for attempting to bore for the precious fuel ; but whctlier 
this gentleman had not gone low enough, or tliat the coal-seams had cropped 
or thinned out here, iu theii- direction from the north, we cannot say. 
We next were invited to cast our eyes to llamblctou Hill, then we should 
behold an object called tiie " White Mare." Scarcely knowing tlie meaning of 
this phrase, but doing as requested, we were astonished to observe at a distance 
of twelve or fifteen miles a faithfid representation of a while horse shajied out 
of tlie rock on the steep hill of Hambletou. This large hieroglyphic, tiie size 
of which I do not at present know, was executed a few years ago through tlie 
instrumentality of a party of gentlemen, as I understood, who came from York. 
This object is a great curiosity, and may be seen at the station at Pilmoor by 
travellers along the Maltou aud Tliii'sk railway. — Yours truly, Uobt. Moktimek, 
Ifimber, Malton. 
Gkology of Reading. — Dear Sir, — Y'our correspondent, A. H., should 
get Mr. Prestwich's pamphlet, "Tlie Ground Beneath Us," Van Voorst, Lon- 
don, 1857, for a general account of the Lower Tertiary beds aud the gravels. 
Por a special account of the geology of the neighbourhood of Reading, 1 beg 
to refer him to the recently published Geoh'gieal Survey Map of that part (sheet 
13), and to a memoir, now in the press, illustrating that map. The following 
information may be useful to your correspondent : 
The beds in the neighbourhood of Reading are, in ascending order, Upper 
Chalk (with flints), Woolwich and Reading beds (the Thauet sands being 
absent), London Clay, and Drift -gravel. 
No doubt fossils may be got in many of the chalk-pits, but I did not look 
for them myself. In the railway-cutting at Pangbourn the characteristic fossils 
of the Challc occur, and in a chalk-pit by the river side a smaU. reversed fault 
may be seen. 
The Woolwich and Reading beds are almost unfossiliferous in the western 
part of the Loudon basin. The "bottom-bed" of this formation, however, 
contains in this neighbourhood a few fossils in the state of casts, besides the 
well-known "oyster-bed" that generally occurs immediately above the Chalk. 
The " bottom-bed" consists of roughly-laminated dark grey clay and clayey 
sand, generally with green grains — often, indeed, being a regular greensand. 
The oiuy ])lace tliat I know of where this bed is now to be seen at Reading is 
at Castle Kiln, where there is the following general section : — 
Plastic clays and sands of the Woolwich aud Reading beds, over thu'ty feet. 
l>ottom-bed of the Woolwich aud Reading beds, over four feet. 
Chalk, with fossils. 
In the bottom-bed here the following fossils were found by Mr. Gibbs, the 
fossil-collector of the Survey, and myself: Pish-teeth, Area, Nucula, Cardimi 
Lai/ioiii, Ci/reiia teUbwlla, 'Psammobia ?, and a small Bryozoan. AU were casts, 
rather imperfect, and, though tolerably plentiful, not to be found without a 
little practice. The bed of oyster-shells I did not find here ; but there are 
most likely casts of oyster-shells in the bottom-bed ; neither was the upper- 
most part of the Chalk riddled with the network of tubular cavities (made by 
boring molluscs) so often to be seen in it where capped by the " bottom-bed." . 
In a briek-yard about half a mile to the north-east of Theale the " bottom- 
bed" may again be seen ; here it is thicker, and also contains casts of shells. 
Various species of oysters are the only fossUs hitherto jiublished as found iu 
these beds in this district. I believe that the officers of the Geological Survey 
were the first to find any others. 
There arc sections of the " basement-bed" of the London Clay at Kates- 
grove Kiln (at the top of the section), aud at the brick-yard about half a mile 
to the north-west of Upper Early ; and when 1 was first at Reading it might 
be seen at the brick-yard near Rcdlauds. It has been found at some depth at 
