found near Rochester, 23 



about sixty feet above high-water mark were found the remains 

 in question, consisting of one upper grinder nearly entire ; its 

 fellow in fragments and considerable portions of the bone so 

 extremely decayed, as only to admit of lifting in very small 

 portions ; the largest portion T uncovered appeared from its 

 breadth and flatness to belong to the cranium, or lower jaw, 

 the portions of bone were all found together, and as no other re- 

 mains could be discovered by digging in different places near 

 the spot, there is reason to conclude that a portion of the 

 bones of the head and two teeth were all that were deposited 

 in this place ; had bones of other parts of the animal been 

 there, the more definite shape of the fragments would have 

 pointed them out. The teeth were decomposed into laminse, 

 the osseous part being entirely gone and the enamel only re- 

 maining. 



A few inches immediately below the remains, was a layer of 

 flints but little water-worn, the teeth were more immediately 

 enveloped in a layer (a few inches thick,) of clean hard sand, 

 such as is generally found in the beds of rivers ; over the 

 remains was a bed of two feet of sandy loam ; and, lastly, a foot 

 and a half of mould. Among the loam, near the remains I 

 found a shark's tooth of the same colour and appearance as those 

 found in the blue clay of Sheppey. 



Among the layer of flints already mentioned, might also be 

 observed some fragments, from the green sand ; and strongly 

 adhering to the largest portion of the bone which I uncovered, 

 was a fragment of an indurated clay stratum containing nume- 

 rous bivalves. From a consideration of all which circumstances, 

 it seems more reasonable to infer that the site where the 

 remains were found, was not their original repository, but that 

 they were washed out from a stratum above the chalk, and that 

 the cranium and teeth were deposited on the ledge at the time 

 of its formation, along with the other travelled matter ; indeed 

 the fragment of indurated clay, containing shells, would seem 

 to point out the particular stratum from whence they were 

 derived — the circumstance of the remains being originally de- 

 posited in a bed containing shells, offers no difficulty as some ' 



