32 PROCEEDINGS COTTESWOLD CLUB I9OI 
Toe PEAT anp FOREST BED 
AT 
WESTBURY-ON-SEVERN : 
1Ve PALAON TOLOGY, 
BY 
A. S. KENNARD anp B. B. WOODWARD, F.L.S., &c. 
With Appendices :—A. The Insecta, by C. O. WATERHOUSE ; 
B. The Vertebrata, by M. A. C. HINTON; C. The Plante, by 
CLEMENT REID; FlRS.,) FL. S., ete. 
(Read March 14th, 1901). 
While the Pleistocene and Holocene deposits of the east 
and south-east of England have received a good deal of 
attention at the-hands of many workers, with those in the 
west country but little has been done. From the former 
deposits an abundant flora and fauna have been obtained, 
throwing great light on the past history of these Islands, 
and helping to elucidate many of the problems of geo- 
graphical distribution; and it was obvious that a careful 
examination of the similar deposits in the west of England 
would materially add to our knowledge. There is, of 
course, the primary difficulty that these beds are too often 
fragmentary, obscure, and difficult of access. They are 
too often only exposed during a chance excavation; and 
then, unless there is an observer on the spot, are soon 
covered up again. There is also the tendency to consider 
these recent beds of no importance, and this is true from 
a commercial point of view; but there can be no doubt 
that in the interest of science it is desirable to have all 
possible evidence, in order to obtain a correct history of 
the past, which is the aim of geology. 
