TRANSACTIONS 



OF 



THE CEOYDON MICROSCOPICAL AND 

 NATURAL HISTORY CLUB. 



1888-89. 



66. FOBAMINIFERA AND OTHEE MiCRO-ORGANISMS IN FlINT. 



By the Eev. George Bailey, F.E.M.S. 

 (Kead February 8th, 1888.) 



Perhaps too large a subject has been chosen for this short 

 paper, a subject that might reasonably lead those who have 

 looked at it to expect much fuller treatment. It is not intended 

 to discuss the still vexed, though interesting, question respecting 

 the mode of flint-formation. Nor is it proposed to furnish any- 

 thing hke a complete hst of organic remains that have been 

 detected in flint by numerous careful observers. The object is 

 briefly to draw attention to a series of microscopic preparations 

 made from some hollow flints collected on April 11th, 1884, 

 during an excursion to Downe and Cudham in connection with 

 this Club. And this is done in the hope that other members 

 wiU endeavour not only to collect objects of interest, but to bring 

 theu" work forward for the purpose of showing what practical use 

 may be made of the facilities which the Club provides. 



On the day named I was unwise enough to go unarmed with 

 hammer or other appliances for field geology, except a few leaves 

 from an old railway time-table. In company with another 

 member of the Club, I lagged somewhat behind the excursionists 

 during part of the journey, certain heaps of flint having attracted 

 us by the way. A solid stone served us for a hammer, and with 

 its aid we were able to crack a few selected hoUow flints, the 

 most promising of which were carefully put in paper and taken 

 home. 



These hollow flints contain a white silicious meal, which when 

 washed, dried, and sifted, yielded all the micro-organisms now 

 on the table. The material has, however, been very far from 



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