XVI PEOCEEDINGS OF THE 



Crossing the Colne at Bushcy Mill, a gravel-pit near Berry 

 Wood was first examined, and Professor Morris showed that the 

 gravel here was Drift re-arranged and brought down from higher 

 levels ; some of its flint pebbles being slightly rolled ; others more 

 or less angular; and others again, elliptical, kidney-shaped, or 

 round, and perfectly black — these being derived from the waste of 

 beds of Lower Tertiary age. Fragments also of hardened slate, 

 grit, quartzite, and white quartz here were seen — the latter being 

 derived from slaty rocks Avhich do not occur in situ in this part 

 of England, and were most probably brought by the action of 

 ice from Palaeozoic rocks some hundreds of miles north of this 

 spot. 



The Chalk -pit in Berry "Wood was then visited. Here the Upper 

 Chalk has a very irregular surface underlying a thick bed of 

 gravel, which was shown not to repose now on the surface on 

 which it was originally deposited ; the Chalk ha\'ing been at one 

 time nearly level, and afterwards irregularly dissolved away by 

 the percolation through the gravel and into cracks, or its more 

 pervious portions, of water holding carbonic acid in solution. 



In the Chalk here are the remains of sponges and ventriculites 

 inclosed in mere shells of flint, containing "spicules," Forarainifera, 

 and even Polyzoa, beautifully preserved ; and amongst others, 

 specimens of Glohigerina haloides were detected by Professor Morris, 

 who stated that a similar form was now lining in the Atlantic, 

 where the chalk now being accumulated frequently contains 90 per 

 cent, of Foraminifera, specimens of wliich he exhibited, and also 

 of the chalk from which they were washed, di-edged from a depth 

 of a mile and a half. 



The President here, choosing a solid flint with one surface some- 

 what even, showed how by striking the plane surface sharply in a 

 vertical direction with a round-headed hammer, a perfectly regular 

 cone may be produced, the single blow depressing the flint at the 

 point hit, and thus causing an increased density of the slightly 

 elastic particles of which it is composed, immediately under this 

 point, which forms the apex of the cone ; the suiTounding flint 

 being afterwards removed by giving it a few sharp taps with the 

 hammer. 



The beautiful grounds of "Otterspool," the residence of Mr. S. T. 

 Holland, were by his kind permission next visited. Here there is 

 a remarkable pool, at the bottom of which are several springs 

 Avhich now yield about 300,000 gallons of water a day, and are 

 said at times some years ago to have yielded a million. These 

 springs are part of a series which rise along the valley by lowering 

 the reservoir of water in the chalk, and here seem mostly due to the 

 rain Avhich falls on the adjoining Eocene area, and percolates 

 through the Lower Eocene sands and Drift gravels into tlie Chalk. 

 The pool was by sounding found to be 16 feet deep at the di'cpest 

 ]iart; and the water is so clear that the springs themselves, and the 

 sides of the fissure in the chalk whicli forms the pool, can be dis- 

 tinctly seen, and so cold that wine is iced in it. 



