JET. 77.] GEOLOGISTS' ASSOCIATION. 347 



author assigned these rude works of early man to a 

 period long anterior to the valley - gravels formed 

 under the present river regime, and considered that 

 they might prove even to belong to an early stage 

 of the Glacial or Pre - Glacial period. The paper, 

 which was illustrated by a map of the Drift Beds 

 around Ightham, and also by a series of flint imple- 

 ments from the hill - drift of unmistakable human 

 workmanship, was well received. 



The increasing load of years had not diminished his 

 enthusiasm, and Prestwich never ceased to take a keen 

 interest in the geological features around his Kentish 

 home. Writing to Mr William Topley (20th May 1889), 

 he invites him to spend a day at Otford and Westerham, 

 in order to examine two considerable patches of gravel 

 which, until the railway was made, escaped notice. 

 With Mr Topley he directed an excursion of the 

 Geologists' Association, on the 1st June 1889, to 

 Ightham, 1 for its members to examine its Gravel 

 Beds and those in the surrounding district, and from 

 which Mr Harrison had made his large collection of 

 flint implements. Again, on 13th July, he and Mr 

 Topley conducted another excursion of the Geologists' 

 Association to Limpsfield (Surrey). 2 To quote Mr 

 Topley's report, " This excursion was intended to 

 supplement that to Ightham on June 1st, and to 

 give an opportunity of examining Gravels at the 

 western end of the Darent Valley, partly within 

 that valley, partly on the watershed between the 

 Darent and the Medway." The inspection of the 

 very interesting collection of flint implements made 

 by Mr A. Montgomerie Bell from the Limpsfield 

 gravels was also one of the objects of the excursion. 



1 Proc. Geol. Assoc., vol. xi. p. Ixvi. 2 Ibid., p. Ixxxii. 



