40 HAMPSTEAD HILL. 



sand and then into a sandy clay, at the base of which was ordinary 

 stiff clay. In the sandy clay fossils were in great abundance, 

 but of these a few species very largely predominated. By far 

 the most abundant were a Valuta and a small bivalve shell, a 

 PeclMnadus. I myself, in a very short time — less than half an 

 hour — obtained from this excavation over a hundred of these 

 shells. Though not found at this spot the beautiful Nautilus 

 shell is characteristic of this zone, and was conspicuous at High- 

 gate. From this it will be seen that this fossiliferous bed is at 

 about 130 feet below the summit of the Heath, ot* about 300 feet 

 above sea-level. 



An excavation in high ground near Child's Hill, in 1866, was 

 also described by Mr. Evans. Here the base beds of the Bagshot 

 Sands gradually became more clayey and contained a great 

 amount of water. Lower down these beds passed into the sandy 

 clay containing again the Voluta and the Pectunculus in great 

 numbers. This sandy clay extended along Piatt's Lane and the 

 Finchley Road nearly to New West End. Between Child's Hill 

 and North End the sewers traversed the water-bearing stratum, 

 but at one spot, in the swampy ground by the " Leg of Mutton 

 Pond," the fossiliferous bed was reached. Mr. Evans writes : '' A 

 similar succession of strata was seen in 1862 in drainage works in 

 Frognal Lane. The upper part of this exposure showed the 

 yellow Bagshot Sand at Frognal House. Lower down the lane, 

 near the entrance to Oak Hill Park, the dark-grey sand was seen, 

 and at the corner of the lane leading to the Parish Church and 

 near the Priory, the sandy clay." Let us hope that there are 

 many residents in Hampstead who will emulate the habit of 

 observation and the single-minded desire to record facts of Nature 

 which Mr. Evans so markedly possessed. 



