328 
LOWER OOLITIC HOCKS OF ENGLAND: 
According to Mr. Hudlestcn, the surface here is 715 feet 
above sea-level, and about 60 feet above the Upper Lias. Some 
of the specimens of Ostrea acuminata reminded me of the forms 
that occur in the Fuller's Earth near Weymouth. 
The junction between the clays, and the Chipping Norton 
Limestone, is irregular and apparently unconformable. This is 
partly due to disintegration of the surface of the limestone, partly 
perhaps to irregular upheaval ; but the top of the limestone is 
capped in places with rubbly and partly rounded masses of brown 
oolitic limestone, that might have been so shaped by subaerial 
weathering. As Mr. Hudleston remarks, " Here there is a definite 
line and a thorough physical break," In the argillaceous series, 
" we may have the representative of the Black Clay of Langton 
Bridge." He adds that the Chipping Norton Limestone below, 
may represent rather higher beds than those exposed at Langton 
Bridge, t( the argillaceous series being transgressive over different 
beds of the Inferior Oolite."* The dark clay of Langton Bridge 
occurs at the base of the Stonesfield series. (See p. 331.) 
West of Chipping Norton a somewhat similar section was to 
be seen, agreeing also with that on Chastleton Hill. A quarry 
near Handbrake on Chastleton Hill, showed the following 
section : 
Great Oolite - 
Inferior Oolite 
Brown clay, flaggy beds and rubble of 
oolitic limestone, with Nerincea, 
Terebratula maxillata, &c. - 
^ a gy oo^ limestone - 
Brown and bluish-grey marly clay and 
tufaceous marly and oolitic rubble : 
Ostrea acuminata, 0. Sowerbyi, Rhyn- 
chonella, Terebratula - 
Oo tic . and - .sandy limestones (Chipping 
Norton Limestone) - - 
FT. IN. 
- 10 
The stone-beds of the Inferior Oolite are much shattered, and 
the " rifts " or " swillies " are filled with clay. 
A somewhat similar section near Oakham, to the north-east, was 
described by Prof. Hull, the basement-limestone, there quarried 
for building-stone, being however referred to the Great Oolite.f 
He mentions that in a quarry near the gate of Daylesford Park, 
the basement-clay " is associated with thin bands of sand and 
gravel," probably like the oolitic rubble in the above section. J 
The railway- cuttings between Chipping Norton and Hook 
Norton have opened up a number of interesting sections, including 
Cornbrash, Forest Marble, Great and Inferior Oolites and Lias : 
and the beds have been described by Mr. T. Beesley, Mr. 
Hudleston, and Mr. E. A. Walford. The cuttings in the Great 
Oolite, aided by adjoining quarries, give the following sequence : 
the details being those noted by myself, and the species which I 
* Proc. Geol. Assoc., vol. v. p. 385. 
t Geol. Cheltenham, p. 59. 
I Ibid., p. 60. 
