76 Proceedings. 



the village of Chaldon, and they took the opportunity of 

 going into tlie church to see the curious old wall-painting 

 which was discovered at the time of the restoration of the 

 church in 1870 ; it is about 17 ft. by 11 ft., and is believed to 

 date from about the year 1170. The subject of the painting 

 is the Ladder of the Salvation of the Human Soul, and the 

 "Way to Heaven. The lower portion of the picture represents 

 the torments of the lost, depicting various special punishments 

 for particular sins. The upper part represents the souls who 

 are saved. On a ladder in the centre of the pictm-e are a 

 number of figures endeavouring to ascend, and some in the 

 lower portion are represented as falUng off. A large number 

 of symbolic figures are introduced in the picture, some parts 

 of which are very indistinct. A pleasant walk along lanes 

 through a wooded country led the party out on to Farthing 

 Down, one of those open uncultivated extents of country so 

 frequently met with on the chalk. A Mole was caught alive 

 by one of the younger members of the party, but was ulti- 

 mately permitted to make its escape into the ground again, 

 which it did not all at once find it easy to do, the soil being 

 rather too hard and strong for it to burrow into very readUy. 

 Many of the usual chalk plants were met with. The walk 

 was continued to Caterham Junction Station, whence the 

 excursionists returned home by railway. 



Silent Pool. — June 17. (Conductor, Dr. Bossey). On 

 Saturday, June 17th, a whole-day excursion was made to 

 Gomshall, in order to visit the pond about two miles distant, 

 known as the " Silent Pool." Some time was first spent in 

 botanising in the marsh just below Gomshall Station. The 

 Bog Pimpernel [Anagallis tenella) and the Buckbean (Meny- 

 anthes trifoUata) were gathered. Veronica Anagallis was found, 

 approaching in habit to V. Beccabunga, so as to suggest the 

 idea of a cross between the two. The party then had a 

 rather dusty walk to the Pool. There are actually two ponds, 

 one lying a little below the other. The upper one is that 

 designated the Silent Pool. It lies at the foot of the chalk- 

 hills, and is quite surrounded and overhung by trees. It is 

 of no great extent, and were it not for the rare occm-rence of 



