PLEISTOCENE GEOLOGY OF THE THAMES VALLEY. 



345 



that the residue is as productive as any of the famous parts that 

 are gone we hope to show in the sequel. 



Orsett Road Section {Fig. i). On the right hand side of the 

 Orsett Road, between Grays and Little Thurrock, is situate 

 what is probably the most interesting and important section of 

 the Middle Terrace brickearths exposed in this district. Its 

 interest lies in the fact of its being, perhaps, the last section of 

 the famous fossiliferous beds of Grays that will ever be seen. 

 Its importance lies in the great advance in our knowledge of the 

 Pleistocene fauna of the Thames Valley which it has yielded to 

 our researches. The section was first discovered by one of us 

 in company with Dr. F. Corner, F.G.S., in April, 1899, and 

 since that date we have systematically studied it and its fossil 

 contents. 



The following beds were exposed : — 



[. Stiff brown loam, with many pebbles in the upper portion. 

 In thickness from 



2. Finely laminated clays, of a blue, brown, yellow, or mottled 

 colour. This series contained a few shells. . . About 



3. Laminated brown clay " Aiiodon bed 



ft. in. 

 8 to 10 



3 6 

 I 6 



Fig. I. Section in Pit at Orsett Road, Grays. (Fof explanation sec text). 



4. Shell-beds, consisting of fine sand crowded with fluviatile 

 and land shells and with many bones and teeth of small 

 vertebrata ; the whole interstratified with thin beds of 

 gravel. In thickness from nothing to . . . . 2 



5. Thin seam of gravel dipping S. at an angle of 9'^ 



6. ) Shell and Unio beds, consisting of similar materials to those 



7. 1 constituting No. 4. Nothing to . . . . • • 3 



9. Brown clay. Nothing to. 



