Greenwich Natubai, IIistoiiy Cluh. — On Saturdny, August 21st, 1858, a 

 Field-day Meeting of tliis club tooli place at Bexley, Kent, under the guidance 

 and upon tlic invitation of Mr. Flaxnjan Spurrell. The chief object of the 

 mectinp; wns to examine the extensive excavations between Crayford and Erith, 

 from wiiich a large number of Mammalian remains have been obtained, many of 

 them being in the posncssion of Mr. Spurrell, of Bexley, and Mr. Grantham, of 

 Crayford. Besides tiic members of the club, invitations were sent to some of the 

 leading naturalists and geologists. I'he unfavourable state of the weather 

 prevented a large attendance of members, and although the meeting was 

 not numerous, still it was very pleasant and instructive. The members 

 and friends were kindly received and hospitably entertained by Mr. Spurrell, 

 for, after viewing the extensive series of Mammalian bones and chalk fossils, col- 

 lected and preserved with taste and care, they sat down to an elegant and sub- 

 stantial collation. Among the members present were J. F. South, Ksq., Ur. 

 Purvis, Ur. Bossey, Messrs. AV. P. Lcthbridge, H. T. Stainton, W. Groves, the 

 Rev. J. H. Knox, &c. Much interest was excited by Mr. Spurrell's collection, 

 which contains some fine specimens of Echinodermata from the chalk, and a large 

 series of fossil-remains of the elephant, horse, ox, deer, rhinoceros, cave-lion, &c., 

 obtained from the brick-earth deposits of Crayford and Erith. 



The members also visited Mr. Grantham, at Crayford, who has for many years 

 past taken considerable interest in the same ossiferous deposits, and has formed 

 a valuable and interesting collection. Amongst these choice spec! men.s was a fine 

 example of the lower jaw' and teeth of the Elephas primigenius, which Mr. 

 (xrantham has since most liberally presented to the Hanterian Museum, at the 

 Koyal College of Surgeons. 



Mr. Grantham's collection had been previously visited by Dr. Falconer, who 

 identified remains of the following species — Ekphas antiqttus. Rhinoceros leptorhimis. 

 Eqmis (a large species), Cervus (Slronffi/loceras?), Bos, and Fclis spclwa, also Elephas 

 primigenius and Rhinoceros tichorhinus ; the two latter are considered by some to 

 belong to a newer period than that of the other animals. 



The pnrty subsequently visited the brick-earth pits where these remains have 

 been found. 



The brick- earth or old river deposits of this locality repose on an abraded or 

 excavated purface of the lower tertiary sands and chalk. They consist of loam, 

 sands, and gravels. The bones above enumerated occur with a number of 

 1'estacea. Most of the species of the latter are still existing in tlie adjoining 

 river ; two only being found elsewhere, Vnio lilloralis of the south of Europe, and 

 a Cyrena, said to be identical with a species now living in the Nile. 



The interesting feature here to bo noticed, namely, the occurrence of existing 

 molluscs with remains of extinct mammals, has been already brought forward in 

 Sir C. Lyell's works, as evidence of the comparative tenacity of existence shown 

 by molluscan species. 



Among the rarer bones are those of the great Cave Lion (Felis Spelcea), which 

 must have carried devastation amongst the herds of Herbivora, some of them of 

 gigantic proportions, that pastured in the woods and wilds of this country, then 

 probably not dissevered from Europe. 



The association of the two species of Elephant, and the two of Rhinoceros 

 is here to be remarked, inasmuch as the E. antiquiis and the R. leptorhintts are 

 regarded as of an older date than the other species of the same genera here associated 

 together. It is earnestly recommended, therefore, that as far as possible, in 

 codecting the bones and teeth from these deposits, attention should be given as to 

 the actual place of the specimens in the several layers of loam, &c., so that those 

 occurring in the upper part siiouldnot be indiscriminately mixed with those taken 

 from a lower position. By tlii.'* means a determination may be arrived at whether 

 there be one, two, or more distinctly marked stages in the history of the life and 

 death of these great creatures. — J. Morris. 



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