XXXU PEOCEEDINGS OF THE 



Mr. Brackenbuiy Comyns Berkeley, Collett Hall, Ware ; and 

 the Rev. J. S. ifoster Chamberlain, M.A., Great Hormead Vicarage, 

 Bunting-ford, were proposed as Members. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. "Meteorological Observations taken at "Wansford House, 

 Watford, during the Year 1879." By John Hopkiuson, F.L.S., 

 P. M.S., etc., Hon. Sec. {Transactions, Yol. I, p. 121.) 



2. "Report on the Rainfall in Hertfordshire in 1879." By 

 John Hopkinson. [Transactions, Vol. I, p. 127.) 



3. " Report on Phonological Observations in Hertfordshire in 

 1879." By John Hopkinson. {Transactions, Vol. I, p. 133.) 



4. A Letter from Mr. J. Vincent Elsden to the Secretary, in 

 reply to remarks made in the discussion on his paper on the " Post- 

 Tertiary Deposits of Hertfordshire." 



Mr. Elsden said that his idea that bare chalk would have been comparatively 

 treeless appeared to be questioned, but he could not help thinking that this was 

 characteristic of a chalk country. As instances he might cite the Chalk of 

 Dorset, or the immense difference in the aspect of North and South Wiltshire, 

 though perhaps no district would so well illustrate this as the treeless chalk 

 prairies of North-eastern America, which he thought represented the natural 

 condition of bare chalk ; although beech trees would grow on a very thin soil 

 over the chalk. 



With respect to the omission of a special mention of the " clay-with-flints" 

 he felt that the length of the paper would only allow a general mention of 

 " soils of disintegration" under the head of subaerial deposits. 



As to floods having been more common in former times, he thought it was a 

 question whether the extensive felling of forests for cultivation, and the great 

 extent of deep draining, etc., did not in themselves tend to increase our lial3ility 

 to floods in the present day. 



5. " Section of Stanmore Brewery New "Well and Boring." By 

 George Tidcombe, Jun. {Transactions, Vol. I, p. 143.) 



6. "Notes on a Cutting in Hamper Mill Lane, "VVatford." By 

 Alfred T. Brett, M.D. 



The section, beginning at the east, near Bushey Station, showed a series of 

 beds in the following succession : — 1, red loam ; 2, mixed loam and sand, variable ; 

 3, sand ; 4, sand impregnated with iron, and perhaps also with manganese ; 

 5, mixed loam and sand, variable ; 6, sand ; 7, sand with small oval black 

 pebbles; 8, red loam; 9, clay; 10, sand; 11, red loam; 12, gravel; 13, red 

 loam ; 14, clay. 



The very variable character of the Woolwich and Reading beds, to which these 

 deposits should be referred, was pointed out, no two sections in the neighbour- 

 hood showing the same succession of sti'ata. 



A coloured section of the cutting in Hamper Mill Lane, drawn by Mr. 

 Lovejoy on the scale of four feet to an inch, was exhibited. 



7. " Note on the Origin of Beech Bottom, near St. Albans." By 

 A. E. Gibbs. 



Mr. Gibbs enquired if anj'thing were known as to the origin of the curious 

 narrow valley called Beech Bottom. If naturally formed it seemed too deep and 

 regular to be attributed to the action of running water ; but if of artificial 

 formation, for what purpose could such a huge excavation have been made ? 

 The pojnilar idea was, he believed, that it had been dug during one of the battles 

 of St. Albans, in the Wars of the Roses, for the purpose of defence. 



