SESSION 1895-90. XXXV 



about a century more receut than the amber chalice. The early 

 registers, dating from 1653, but not continuous, were also inspected. 



After thanking Mr. Batty, the party left the church by the fine 

 avenue of elms for the mansion, which was shown by the kind per- 

 mission of the then owner, the late Mr. Walter H. Eurns, for whom 

 it had been greatly enlarged and was at that time being decorated. 

 It is older than Hatiicld House, having been built about the year 

 1600 by Sir llalph Coningsby. The old manor-house of North 

 Mimms, which the present building replaced, was also older than 

 the Bishop's Palace of Hatfield, but, unlike that, no portion of 

 it still remains. Hatfield House was built on the same plan as 

 this, but much larger ; now, owing to the extensive additions 

 which have been made for Mr. Burns, this mansion rivals Hatfield 

 House in size. Although the building is completed, the decorations 

 were in too unfinished a state at the time of this visit to judge 

 what the final elfect will be. 



After a brief visit to the gardens, the park was crossed by the 

 Lady's Drive to Courser's Farm, where the members and their 

 friends were very kindly entertained at tea by Mr. and Mrs. Giddins, 

 after which Smallford Station was reached by way of Colney Heath, 

 the cyclists returning by London Colney. 



Field Meeting, 20th June, 1896. 

 HITCHIN. 



This meeting was organized by the Geologists' Association of 

 London, and was conducted by Mr. William Hill, F.G.S., a member 

 of our Society. 



Assembling at Hitchin Station at half-past two, the members 

 of the two Societies walked by the side of the Great Northern 

 Hallway and then along a branch tram-line to Mr. T. Ransom's Lime 

 Works near Grove Mill, about half a mile to the north of Hitchin. 

 In the chalk-pit here a good section of the Lower Chalk is exposed, 

 the highest bed containing its characteristic fossil, Belemnitella plena. 

 In one part of the pit the Melbourn Rock overlies this bed, but it 

 is not well shown here. Marking a great break in the fauna, this 

 hard bed is considered to form the base of the Middle Chalk. It 

 contains fishes, Crustacea (lobsters, etc.), and many shells. 



Returning to Hitchin Station the large chalk quarry by the side 

 of the line was visited. It is in the Middle Chalk, and the section 

 exposed is an upward continuation of that near Grove Mill, the 

 Melbourn Rock here being near the base, and having, as in the 

 Isle of AVight, a marly band both above and below it, but there 

 much thicker than here. The chalk here is full of Inoceramiis, and 

 in the Melbourn Rock Ptijchodus mammiUaris was found. The most 

 interesting portion of this section are the glacial beds overlying the 

 Chalk. The actual junction of these beds with the Chalk is seen, 

 and there is a great mass of coarse material at the junction, with 

 ice-scratched stones and pebbles characteristic of the northern drift. 



