DEEP BORING IN THE NEW RED MARLS NEAR BIRMINGHAM. 315 
which their buildings stand, at a distance two miles to the 
east (down-throw side) of the line of fault already described. 
They entrusted the work to Messrs. Le Grand and Sutcliffe, 
of 100, Bunhill Bow, London, who have successfully carried 
out similar undertakings in many parts of the country. 
The work has been rapidly carried forward, and the latest 
statement of results is as follows :— 
Contractors’Notes. Deptli in Feet. Geological Notes. 
Dug well 
Bed Sand . 4 
Bed Marl and Pebbles ... 8 
Bough Ballast . 12 
Bed Marl .158 
Bed Marl and Gypsum... 131 
Marl, Shale, and Gypsum 309 
Marl and Shale . 31- 
Bed Stone and Shale ... 9J 
| Post-glacial Sands 
> Boulder Clay 
-Keuper Marls 
Feet. 
.. 36 
.. 20 
.. 611 
Total depth reached ... 667 
667 
There is no thick bed of gypsum, but this mineral occurs 
persistently in streaks and fibrous deposits throughout the 
greater part of the strata. Many of the cores of marl 
brought up are remarkably hard, affording a great contrast 
to the ordinarily soft and crumbling nature of the strata as we 
usually see them in a weathered condition in brick-pits, &c. 
It is possible that the “red stone and shale”—a hard 
sandy marl—which forms the bottom bed now reached, marks 
the incoming of the Lower Keuper Sandstone. Similar 
strata were found at the bottom of the Lindley Hall boring. 
Certainly the depth already reached—667 feet—is the point 
at which our previous knowledge would lead us to expect the 
change to occur. For although the first 56 feet is occupied 
by surface deposits, leaving 611 feet for the Bed Marls, yet it 
must be remembered that we are only two miles east of the 
fault, and that the upper portion of the Marls—to what 
extent we cannot precisely tell—must have been removed by 
denudation. 
Just as the boring has reached this most interestiug 
point, an unfortunate accident has temporarily delayed its 
progress. A tool has broken in the very bottom of the boring, 
and the removal of the broken piece is a difficult operation. 
But doubtless this obstacle will quickly be overcome. As to 
the quality of the water to be obtained from the Keuper 
Sandstones, the promoters of the boring doubtless hope that 
it will be similar to that at Burton, where the presence of a 
