156 HOLLOW LANE; 
in a soft, pasty state, for we frequently find fossil shells embedded 
in it. 
Now, to come to the curious old lane we have chosen to ramble 
in to-day: From its sinuosity and from the wide bending in the 
further bank wherever a turn is made, it appears to be an ancient 
watercourse, down which, after these hills were upheaved, or 
while they were in course of upheaval, a mountain torrent rushed 
to join either a larger stream flowing through the present Hugh- 
enden Valley, or else the sea which was still slowly retiring. 
The deep cuttings made in the middle of the lane, where the out- 
line of the hill is so much more convex, bear the signs of aqueous 
action; but the most decisive characteristics are the wide bend- 
ings or elbowings, which are exactly similar to those we may see 
now in our own stream, where it makes an abrupt change in its 
course. This was also the opinion of Mr. Lucas, who resided in 
Wycombe some years ago, and he was more competent to judge 
than I, since he had examined geologically many similar lanes in 
all parts of Great Britain. When I first ventured to make 
known this hypothesis I was vehemently opposed by the anti- 
quaries of Wycombe, who will have it to have been an old road. 
So be it: I never denied the possibility, in fact I believe so too, 
but I claim for it in addition an existence before it was used as a 
road, even before the busy spirit of man had been called into 
being—before the earth was given to the gigantic mastodon and 
other elephantine monsters over which man has never had do- 
minion. Ican never believe that it was originally made a road, 
either by manual labour or by constant traffic, but it is exceed- 
‘ingly probable that the early inhabitants of this island adapted it 
to their convenience. There is many a rocky ravine in Devon- 
shire filled with a roaring torrent during a wet season, yet 
traversed in summer and autumn by the more peaceful donkey 
with panniers or the cottager’s cartload of garden produce. 
Henry ULLyert. 
