SESSION 1896-97. Ixvii 



Mr. TJrl):in Smitli estimated the present rate of the flow to be 

 about two million gallons a day. 



(On visiiting the valley of the Bourne on the 19th of June, water 

 was found to be still flowing between half a mile and a mile above 

 lH)urne End, but at the end of the month the flow had quite 

 ceased.) 



Field Meeting, 1st May, 1897. 

 ABBOT'S EIPTON AND HUNTINGDON. 



The widening of the line of the Great Northern Railway, which 

 is now being carried on in the neighbourhood of Huntingdon, has 

 exposed an interesting section of the Oxford Clay, a division of the 

 Middle Oolite formation, and the overlying Boulder Clay. The 

 work is being executed under the superintendence of Mr. F. A. 

 Campion, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., and under his guidance the section 

 was examined. Most of the members, with their President, 

 Mr. W. Whitaker, F.R.S., travelled from St. Albans by the 10.55 

 train, were met by others at Hatfield, and arrived at Abbot's 

 Kipton at 1 o'clock. 



Lunch having been partaken of at the Inn near the station, the 

 walk along the line towards Huntingdon was commenced, and the 

 section of Boulder Clay in Stukeley cutting was soon in view. 

 This proved to be a very interesting exposure, the Boulder Clay 

 being unusually full of both large and small scratched or glaciated 

 boulders, many of which were found to be full of fossils. Most 

 of these boulders must have drifted with the great ice-sheet fi'om 

 the north, for amongst the rocks represented were seen several 

 specimens of Tealby Limestone from Lincolnshire, Carboniferous 

 Limestone and Coal Measure Sandstone from still further north, 

 and an igneous rock probably brought from a greater distance than 

 any of the rocks of aqueous origin. With these were huge flints, 

 some very distinctly glaciated, and hard chalk boulders also ice- 

 scratched. The prevailing fossils appear to be gryphaeas and 

 belemnites of Oolitic and Liassic age, but some of the Carboniferous 

 Limestone boulders also contained fossils. 



The Oxford Clay, from which many fossils have been obtained 

 by Mr. Campion for the Hertfordshire Museum, was not well seen, 

 the best sections of it having been covered up. 



After the deposition of the Boulder Clay, a milder climate pre- 

 vailed, and in a more recent deposit have been found horns of the 

 wild ox, antlers of the red deer, and remains of other animals which 

 roamed through the forests of those days ; but one of the most 

 interesting finds which has been made is that of a large number 

 of human remains with a few pieces of very primitive pottery. 

 Most of these were found when excavating for the foundations of 

 the new bridge where the railway crosses the Ermine Street at 

 Huntingdon, the remains being five feet below the present surface 

 of the ground. After examining this bed a large number of human 



